Hope that R100,000 reward will help solve mystery of missing journalist and partner

Ndlovu’s car, which his family said did not have a tracking device, has not been found.

Mdhluli’s sister, Lillian Mokgala, said on Sunday that the family were still hopeful that the couple would be found alive.

“We thank the media for exposing this case of our missing family members,” Mokgala said. “We also thank the police for the update given to us today, and we believe they will make a breakthrough soon and find them alive.” 

Kenny Morolong, deputy minister in the presidency, accompanied by Mpumalanga police provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi, labelled Ndlovu’s disappearance as an attack on the freedom of the press.

“Yesterday [Saturday] we observed World Press Freedom Day,” Morolong said. “Today, we met with the police to be briefed on this matter. We can report with confidence that we are of the view that significant progress has been made. [The] investigation is at an advanced stage. We are told there’s collaboration between the Mpumalanga and Gauteng police.

“We also met with the family. Police have demonstrated confidence in their ability to crack the case … We see this incident as an attack on media freedom. An attack on media freedom is an attack on our democracy. We are not here to just show support to the families but to show that the media [is an integral part of] our constitutional democracy.” 

Morolong said people pray that the missing couple would be found alive and that those responsible would be brought to book.

Mkhwanazi said: “We are working together with members of the Gauteng detective unit. This case is complicated, but we are getting there. Soon, we are going to have a breakthrough. We hope that both of them are still alive.”

The R50,000 initially offered by the National Press Club and the African Media and Communicators Forum has increased to R100,000.

“Today the reward is being increased to R100,000, [and we are] hoping that this time around members of the public will come forward with information,” Mkhwanazi said, adding that the police will step up efforts to “resolve the matter as quickly as possible”.

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