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The department of Social Development has once again successfully repatriated a young South African boy from Zimbabwe who has been missing for almost two years. 

The child, identified as Mzi*, was just 11 years old when he disappeared from his home in May 2023 and boarded a bus to Zimbabwe, where he was later dropped off at the Zengeza police station in Harare.

This set off a complex cross-border child protection case, with his disappearance becoming a matter of national concern, prompting the Department of Social Development to work tirelessly alongside Zimbabwe’s Department of Social Welfare to locate and return him home.

Unlike previous repatriation cases involving children born in foreign prisons to South African mothers, Mzi’s case presented unique challenges.

According to reports, the boy provided different accounts of how he ended up in Zimbabwe, further complicating the search. The department was first notified of the case when the nationwide search for him began, said Acting Deputy Director-General Lumka Oliphant.

The Children’s Act

The Children’s Act mandates the department to repatriate South African children in distress in foreign countries. The Department of Social Development plays a crucial role in ensuring the protection and care of children, including those in need of repatriation and reunification with their families.

Mzi is the 26th child to be repatriated from foreign countries since 2015, reaffirming the department’s commitment to safeguarding children.

The Zimbabwean social workers report indicates that the child is autistic, though further assessments will be conducted to determine the full extent of his needs.

“His condition may explain why he wandered off and why repatriation efforts faced such obstacles,” a social worker from the department said on Wednesday. 

According to the department, bringing him back proved far from straightforward, with the social workers’ report confirming that multiple repatriation attempts failed as he repeatedly absconded from authorities, making an already challenging process even more difficult.

The breakthrough finally came on Wednesday, 5 February 2025, when Zimbabwean officials found him on the streets of Harare.

In an urgent, coordinated effort, South Africa’s Integrated Social Services team intervened, ensuring he was safely escorted to the Beitbridge border the following day.

By 6 February 2025, Mzi had been placed in the care of Limpopo’s Department of Social Development, at Polokwane Welfare Complex.

Reunited with family 

The next day, accompanied by his mother, maternal aunt, and a Gauteng social worker, Mzi made the final journey to Johannesburg, where he was finally reunited with his family.

“He started crying when he saw me and was saying a lot that I couldn’t understand because it was in Shona, he’s lost his Zulu (mother tongue) and now speaks Shona fluently,” the boy’s 33-year-old mother said. 

Mzi’s mother described him as an independent child who often wandered off. When he started primary school, his disappearances became more frequent, sometimes leading to police involvement or kind strangers returning him home. 

When asked about this behavior, his mother admitted it has been a confusing and painful journey.

Seated on the concrete veranda of his home in Alexandra, Gauteng, the small-framed shy looking boy plays quietly with his cousin and the two-year-old brother he has just met for the first time.

After nearly two years away Mzi is finally home, but his journey, and that of his family, is far from over.

“We thought he was just a seriously naughty child, and we would punish him and ground him from playing outside,” his mother said, recalling the many sleepless nights spent worrying about his safety.

“My ex-husband was quite strict, and he would give him a hiding whenever he disappeared from us,” she said. 

In several social workers’ assessments, Mzi reported being abused by his stepfather.

During his time in Zimbabwe, Mzi was placed in various Child and Youth Care Centres and alternative care facilities, but he absconded more than six times. His last disappearance was in July 2024.

Social workers also reported his tendency to wander, which may be related to the autism. He also gave multiple versions of his family story and how he ended up in Zimbabwe to the police and child welfare organisations.

Emotional reunion

Mzi’s mother remains filled with questions and frustration. She speaks with bitterness of the two-year ordeal, which left her feeling dismissed by officials, judged by friends and family, and even being threatened with arrest. She added that “It has been traumatic”.

“The moment of reunion was deeply emotional,” says Lamlani Mthembele, one of the officials who accompanied Mzi’s mother to Limpopo. 

“When they saw each other, he cried, his mom was crying, and even though we couldn’t understand what he was saying in Shona, it felt like he was saying he was happy to be back home and that he would never leave his mother’s side again.”

While en route to Johannesburg, Mzi asked about his little sister, and when the mother video called the 9-year-old girl, he sobbed uncontrollably, Mthembele said. 

Now back home, Mzi is adjusting to life with his family, including meeting his two-year-old brother for the first time. 

Social workers from the Gauteng Department of Social Development will support his mother in securing medical assessments and the necessary interventions for his well-being.

“It will empower me. I will know what medication he needs and what school I need to send him to. I also want to get him a tracking bracelet,” the mother said. 

The department has assured ongoing psychosocial support for Mzi and his family to ensure his smooth reintegration and emotional healing.

The Department of Social Development extended its gratitude to the Zimbabwean Department of Social Welfare, the Limpopo and Gauteng Social Development Departments, and all organisations involved in securing Mzi’s safe return. – SAnews.gov.za

* Not his real name

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