An R100 000 reward is being offered for any information relating to the Pretoria journalist who vanished without a trace, along with his partner over 75 days ago.
Gauteng Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said there remains no developments in the case since it was registered in February.
“[There are] no developments, police are still searching.”
The National Press Club (NPC) and the African Media and Communicators Forum (AMCF) offering the reward have appealed to National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola to personally intervene in the stalled investigation into the couple’s disappearance.
They said over two months have passed since the journalist and Mamelodi community radio founder Sibusiso Ndlovu and his partner Zodwa Mdhluli vanished without a trace.
The growing frustration has now led to the NPC and AMCF calling for the country’s top police official to deal with the matter.
The organisations said they’ve exhausted normal communication channels and believe only direct intervention by the National Commissioner can shift the momentum.
Ndlovu and Mdhluli were last seen on February 18 in Kwa-Mhlanga, Mpumalanga, where they resided.
Despite missing persons cases being opened both in Kwa-Mhlanga and at the Mamelodi Police Station, where Ndlovu worked, no progress has been reported.
In a bid to reignite public interest and intensify the search, the NPC and AMCF have now doubled the reward to R100 000 for any information that can assist police in locating the couple.
“There is still no information about their whereabouts, no trace of their vehicle, no suspects, no arrests, and no media updates or public comment from the police since the initial days of the search,” said Elijah Mhlanga, chairperson of the AMCF.
“This silence is deafening, and the families are suffering.”
Mhlanga also highlighted the emotional toll the situation is taking on the loved ones left behind, including a child struggling at school under the weight of stress and uncertainty.
Acting NPC Chairperson Antonette Slabbert said they hoped that the R50 000 reward would bring in leads, but with no notable progress, they believe increasing the reward may prompt the public to step forward.
“Time is not on our side, and we remain hopeful that they will be found alive.”
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who visited Ndlovu’s family in Hebron, north of Pretoria, pledged government support and renewed commitment from law enforcement to uncover the couple’s whereabouts.
Lesufi assured the grieving family that the case remains a priority for the SAPS and that a dedicated team of investigators has been assigned to crack the case.
Members of the public with any leads are urged to contact Brigadier Edwin Nama at 082 778 9035 with any information they may have.
What we know is:
– A case of housebreaking and theft was opened after the female complainant reported on February 18 2025, that her male friend went missing in Mamelodi, Gauteng, so she came looking for him at KwaMhlanga.
Police in KwaMhlanga initiated an investigation after a female complainant went to the KwaMhlanga home of one of the missing pairs and it was during this time, it was realised, that the doors at the house were opened with some other items missing. That was when a case was opened.
– While a missing person’s file for Zodwa Precious Mdhluli, 46, was registered 5 days later at KwaMhlanga, on February 24 2025.
The circumstances surrounding their disappearance are still unknown and form part of the police investigations.
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