Memorial service to be held for missing Lovu man
Siyabonga Gumede was last seen on December 20, 2025, when the car he was travelling in was swept away during a storm.
A LOVU township family has decided to do a memorial service for their father and husband to officially let him go after fruitlessly searching for him since he went missing in December 2025.
Also read: Missing child found dead
Siyabonga Patrick Gumede was last seen in the company of five men on December 20, 2025, when the car they were travelling in was swept away during a storm as it crossed a swollen Little Amanzimtoti River.
Three of the men swam to safety while three others, including Gumede, were swept away. Two of the bodies were later found, but Gumede has remained missing since, despite an extended search that was later joined by a private search and rescue company.
Gumede’s wife, Mpume Gumede, said as painful as it was, she and their children had decided to let him go in peace.
“We miss him daily, but we have decided to allow him to rest in peace. All people get funerals at the end of their lives, so we decided to honour our loved one with one,” said Mpume.
The difference with this memorial service is that there will be no casket or body.
Also read: Umgababa teenager gone missing
The family had a dark festive season as they waited for news of their father being found or at least his body.
In January, Mpume was notified of an unknown male body that had been admitted to the Park Rynie government mortuary on December 30.
Her hopes were dashed when a visit to the mortuary revealed that it was not her husband. She described him as a loving and hardworking family man who was the breadwinner of the family.
She said she had to scrape together whatever she could to give her husband a proper send-off.
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