Family frantic as two women vanish

Family and friends of a Ncerha shop owner and her employee who disappeared over the weekend are searching and praying for their safe return.

Zoleka Gantana, 57, of Ncerha Village 7, and shop assistant Kholosa Mpunga, 27, lived together in Gantana's house near Kidds Beach.

They are not in any of the local hospitals and appeals for help are out on social media.

Gantana was last heard from on Saturday afternoon, when she left her Tsholomnqa homestead for her house in Ncerha, where she also owns and runs KwaMasithathi General Dealer.

On Sunday morning, neighbours contacted the family suspecting that something was amiss at Gantana's house.

Her daughter told the Dispatch on Monday that they rushed to her home and found the gate open, the shop looted of items such as cigarettes, cold drinks and meat, and her mother’s  bakkie — a white Isuzu single-cab with a canopy, registration HVH 157 EC —  is missing.

The shopkeeper, Nozuko Mpunga, was also missing. Mpunga's family would not comment save to say the Gantana family had opened a missing person's case.

Gantana's daughter, who asked not to be named, said her mother left Tsholomnqa on Saturday at about 5pm for Ncerha.

“Every family member is looking and calling anyone we can think of ... we are using all the resources at our disposal, looking in areas where hijacked cars are usually dumped.

"Police are looking as well and we are praying for their safe return.

“She called at about 6.20pm to chat but I was busy sorting out the kids and asked to revert. When I did, I could not get hold of her and thought it was a network problem in the area.

"On Sunday I called again and could not get through.”

She said her mother never went anywhere without a family member being aware of it, and on Sundays they had lunch together at her grandmother's house — which Gantana missed.

Gantana is a Methodist Church of Southern Africa lay minister.

“Nothing was taken from inside the house. We can’t really establish what happened because when we got there the big gate was open and the bakkie was gone.

“We suspect money is behind this. We hear stories of targeting business people, and it was the weekend of Sassa grants. There is a likelihood some people thought she had money.”

Gantana has been running the shop for more than 10 years.

“All we are focusing on now is their safe return.

“Before there would be petty theft now and then, and some local boys would be caught. We have never had a case as serious as this.

"She’s a friendly and well-respected person, popular in her area, and very active in business and church.

“We ask for help to find her alive, and for anyone with information to call the police.

"No one has contacted us for a ransom.

Police confirmed they are investigating the disappearance of two women who were reported missing at Kidds Beach police station on Sunday.

"At around 11am, the inexplicable disappearance of the two people came to the attention of their families after a customer and a neighbour found the spaza shop unattended and ransacked," said W/O Majola Nkohli.

He urged anyone with information to contact the investigating officer, W/O Human, on 083-657-8904 or report via the toll-free Crime Stop line, 08600-10111.

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