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DEATH: Mthokozisi Mdanda-Sibeko (12) who was found dead by his father. PHOTO: MABUTI KALI

A few metres away, at the home in Jabavu, Soweto, adults sat outside and enjoyed the midday sun while anticipating the big Soweto derby as they waited for it to kick off.

About a week earlier 12-year-old Mthokozisi Mdanda had gone missing after being sent to the shops to buy eggs. He was last seen at about 3.30pm.

"Last Sunday I was driving past the house and stopped when I saw him," his father, a 47-year-old taxi driver Themba Sibeko, said.

"I asked if he was alright and he said he was well. I then drove off." That was the last time he saw his son alive.

On Saturday, just after the game between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, Sibeko was led to the rubbish bin by a strange smell while he was looking for curtains he had washed and wanted to hang up in his outside room.

That smell was his son's decomposing body in the rubbish bin in the dingy garage, the shaken father said yesterday.

Mthokozisi's biological mother passed away when he was about four years old. He was a Grade 5 pupil at Emisebeni Primary School.

"I think a lot about the times he would jump on me unexpectedly and want us to wrestle. I loved my boy," Sibeko said.

"We were searching for the child until yesterday evening," Soweto police spokesman Warrant Officer Kay Makhubele said.

He said Mthokozisi went missing last Sunday night. His family informed the police on Monday.

He said Sekeko found the boy's body facing down in the dustbin. The body had started decomposing.

The cause of death was still unknown.

"We have opened an inquest and we are investigating every angle because we don't know what transpired," Makhubele said.

He described the incident as very strange.

- moengk@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Sat May 25 04:38:15 SAST 2013 ::

Dec 10, 2012

!#Sinudeity#!

Sorry Mr. Sibeko :( No father should outlive his son. My condolences to you. Hope the perpetrator is found and justice is executed.
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Dec 10, 2012

Chichi7

Rest in peace little one. No one deserves what happened to you. No one.
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Dec 10, 2012

mashima?

This should be very depressing to you Mr S. loosing the wife and while left with your son as the only hope and comfort he died a strange death. May the good Lord comfort you and wipe your tears away. They are saying you can run but not hide the cause of death to your innocent child shall prevail.
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Dec 10, 2012

TLekota

Yeeerrr mathatha a lefase.
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Dec 10, 2012

Mdala

Eish!!! I hope this was just an accident and no person did this to the innocent boy.

Cndolence to his father and may his soul rest in peace
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Dec 10, 2012

edna

I don't think so Mdala. He was found in a dustbin.

This is very traumatising! May his precious soul rest in peace!
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Dec 10, 2012

lucky7

Holy Molly!!!!! there are people out there who are heartless, our prayers are with you!!!
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Dec 10, 2012

taba-e-kana

maybe the boy fell into the bin and was for some reason traaped and couldnt free himself,until he suffocated and died....


This story should be in the show>>>A 1000 ways to die...

but on a serious note my condolensed to the father...may God be with you....loosing a child is never easy
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Dec 10, 2012

Chichi7

This is the second case that has sent shivers down my spine. About a year ago, a young boy went missing in Heuweloord in Centurion and days later, the family found his dead body at the gate in the morning. How cruel humans are is beyond me.
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Dec 10, 2012

Missjoy

eish! this is so sad, rest in peace boy.
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