Missing Mpumalanga Toddler Found Alive After 5 Days, SA Relieved After 3-Year-Old Found in a Ditch
- Nkosingiphile Ntiwane, a three-year-old who went missing on 20 July 2025, was found near his home
- Angry community members demanded arrests following the disappearance of the hearing-impaired toddler
- South Africans shared their thoughts on the youngster's disappearance and speculated on what had happened
Source: Twitter
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
MPUMALANGA – The desperate search for Nkosingiphile Ntiwane has ended on a happy note as the three-year-old has been found safe and sound.
The toddler went missing on Sunday, 20 July 2025, in Mshadza Trust at Masoyi, outside Nelspruit. Nkosingiphile, who has a hearing impairment, vanished while playing at his home, sparking outrage in the community.
Community members protested on the R38 road a few days after his disappearance, demanding that arrests be made.
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Where was Nkosingiphile found?
According to police in Mpumalanga, the toddler was found alive inside a ditch, a few metres from his home. He was found on 25 July 2025, around 3 pm, by members of the public who assisted in searching for him. According to some social media posts, he was found in a ditch that had already been checked before.
Nkosingiphile appeared weak and possibly dehydrated and was receiving medical attention after he was found. It is still unclear how he got stuck in the ditch.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, expressed gratitude to those who assisted in the search and also pleaded with the community not to engage in acts of vigilantism as they previously have.
What did the community do?
Following his disappearance, angry community members called for the arrest of the child's mother, believing that she was involved. Threats were also made against the family, as some community members wanted to torch their house.
The community also expressed unhappiness with the police and threw stones at the Masoyi Police Station, damaging a police van in the process.
“There were also threats of torching the house belonging to the missing child's family. Due to the volatile situation, police had to remove the family members to a safer place in an attempt to prevent loss of life,” Mkhwanazi said.
Source: Twitter
How did South Africans react?
While social media users were relieved that the youngster was safe, others questioned and speculated about what happened to him.
Aletta Stander said:
“Ask the child about it when he feels better and relaxed. May God give the little one a clear mind to say everything about the incident.”
Xola Colok Mrwetyana stated:
“You were busy searching with someone who knew where the child was. After the search, they had to throw him there.”
Tony Govender said:
“Yes, this is mind-boggling. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the boy was found alive after a whole week, and the police are still investigating how he got there. It's all so confusing.”
Stacy Setaro Dee added:
“He must have been so scared 🥺. Why are so many children getting hurt or going missing 😢 what is happening?”
Nthabiseng Sello said:
“It's obvious that the person who took the child is nearby, and he or she was in the search with everyone. So, they saw that they didn't have a chance of doing what they wanted. Thank God that the child is found alive.”
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
