A Mahlalela family in Mnyangombili, Mafucula, was left with lingering questions and a deep sense of fear, after their 22-month-old toddler went missing on Monday afternoon and was later found alive under mysterious circumstances, completely dry despite heavy rainfall the previous night.
According to the mother, Nothando Mahlalela (20) she had left the toddler in the care of her sister and mother, while she went to collect firewood from a nearby mountain.
She returned 30 minutes later to find the child missing. Both relatives, who had been busy with household chores, assumed he had gone to visit his great-grandmother, as he often played with other children at her homestead.
At the great grandmother’s home, Mahlalela learned that the toddler had indeed been there but was sent back after the elderly woman noticed that the other children were absent. Mahlalela then began tracking footprints and noticed that alongside the child’s prints were those of an adult.
At a certain point, the toddler’s footprints disappeared, leaving only the adult’s, which the family followed into the mountain.
“We continued searching in the forest until evening and it started pouring,” Mahlalela said.
The family searched until nightfall but, exhausted and drenched, they eventually returned home without knowing the toddler’s whereabouts.
The following day, the search resumed. The child was found by young men looking for livestock under a tree in Sinkokhwaneni, more than 3km from his home. He was crying when discovered and local headmen were present.
The toddler, who can speak only a few simple words, pointed towards the direction from which he had been taken. “I asked him what he had been given and he told me he ate candy and yoghurt,” the mother said.
ALSO READ | Three Lucky Customers Win Big in Eswatini Mobile’s iPhone 17 Pro Max Giveaway
What left the family particularly fearful was that the child appeared completely unaffected by the previous night’s heavy rain. He was neither wet nor muddy.
Medical examinations confirmed that he was healthy, with no signs of trauma. Mahlalela stated it was evident someone had taken the child and later released him. The father, upon being informed, joined the search party and shared concern over the unusual circumstances.
The toddler’s grandmother Ntombifuthi Mahlalela expressed disbelief over the distance the child had travelled. “It is clear that he did not get there on his own,” she said.
She added that the family was not at peace, as they continued to think about the motive of the perpetrators who took him. “I watched the toddler dancing today and thoughts flashed back on how we could have lost him.
“I keep wondering who took him and what their intentions were.”
The incident has also instilled fear in other children, who are now hesitant to run errands or visit neighbouring homesteads. “This is terrifying.
“We still do not understand how he got there or how he stayed dry all night. We are scared and just want answers,” the grandmother said.
Royal Eswatini Police Service confirmed that the toddler had been taken to the hospital for medical checks to ensure his well-being.
They further revealed that an investigation had been opened into a possible kidnapping.
The Mahlalela family continues to grapple with fear and unanswered questions, hoping for clarity while remaining cautious in their daily routines.
The event has left the community shocked, highlighting both the vulnerability of young children and the uncertainty of unexplained occurrences in rural areas.
