Lost in Rundu as a boy, found in Arandis as a man
Mystery engulfs suspected abduction
The emotional reunion between a mother and a son who went missing 15 years ago has shocked communities in Erongo and Kavango East regions.
Difficulties in registering at the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) due to a lack of national identity documents have inadvertently led to a young man reuniting with his family – 15 years after he was abducted at the age of five.
Steven Shavuka Thandakhona, known as Kandjimi Joseph Ndjii in Arandis, went missing in 2010 while herding cattle with his twin sister in Mile 20 village, Kavango East. The twins became separated from their elder brother, who was with them at the time.
When a search party was launched, only the twin girl was found, while Thandakhona remained missing – until this week, according to his biological family.
How he, as the family suspects, ended up in Arandis, allegedly living with a man who claimed to be his father, remains a mystery.
His relieved family told the media this week that the man who took their son could not have been his biological father, as his actual father was part of the search party when he went missing. His father remains alive in Kavango East.
The man who allegedly took the young boy to Arandis had rented accommodation in the town. One day, he allegedly asked his landlord’s family to care for the boy while he attended a funeral in Rundu. However, the man never returned, reportedly leaving the landlord’s family to take the young boy in and raise him as one of their own.
Questions remain as to whether the landlord’s family made any effort to report the situation to the police to locate the boy’s family. Concerns have also been raised over their claim that they have no details about the identity of the man who rented accommodation with them.
Found
Recently, while enrolling her child at NIMT, a woman with family ties in Kavango East became aware of a young man who was unable to register due to a lack of national identity documents.
It was mentioned that the aspiring student, Kandjimi Joseph Ndjii, was originally from Kavango East but did not know his family or exact place of origin.
Concerned, the woman shared the young man's story on a WhatsApp group of Kavango residents in Arandis.
His photo was circulated, and eventually, it reached the family, who immediately noticed the man's uncanny resemblance to his twin sister.
"The picture was shown to me by a young man who said, 'This child allegedly lost his parents. He went missing, and we do not know where his family is,’" Elizabeth Mandaha (54), who believes she is the young man’s biological mother pending DNA tests, told Namibian Sun this week.
"Upon seeing the picture, I asked myself, 'Who is this child who looks like mine?' Others at home also agreed with me," Mandaha recalled.
Determined to get answers, she and her daughter contacted the person who originally shared the picture.
"My daughter called them and told them that the person in the picture resembled her brother, who had gone missing," she said.
According to Mandaha, the person on the other end of the call confirmed that the boy was of Kavango descent, born in 2005, and had been in Arandis since 2010. "I said to myself, 'Thank you, God.' This is my child that I have been searching for. He was born in 2005 and went missing in 2010. He is a twin," she said.
The same individual later sent another photo, this time showing the young man standing next to the woman who raised him. "That was all I needed to erase any doubts. The child in question was mine," Mandaha added.
The next morning, Mandaha and her family went to the Ndama Police Station in Rundu. "I narrated the story of my missing child to the police officers. They directed us to the main police station and the town council for further assistance."
Lost
Mandaha recalled how her son disappeared in April 2010. "That day, my son and his twin sister left home to look after the cattle with their older brother. They got separated from their brother, who tried searching for them by following their footprints but couldn’t find them. He returned home to alert us.
"We set out to search for them and only found the girl. We continued looking for the boy, going as far as Dirtig, about 30 km outside Rundu, where we spent the night. Eventually, we involved the police, but they had no luck either. They told us they had searched extensively and suggested leaving it in God’s hands."
Klaus Kammbinda, a relative of Mandaha, explained how they first discovered the whereabouts of the man they believe is their missing relative.
"My aunt first saw the boy when she was at NIMT applying for her child. She noticed a young man who couldn’t enrol because he had no documentation."
It was then that the boy’s story began circulating on WhatsApp.
"When we contacted the family that raised him in Arandis, they told us how they found him. His so-called father lived with them from 2010 to 2011. One day, he left, saying he had to attend a funeral in Rundu but never returned," Kammbinda said.
Medical confirmation needed
Mandaha arrived in Arandis this week to meet her son. "According to what I heard, the child was asked if he had any memories of where he came from. He said yes and described being at a village with a yard made of logs, a huge tree next to the road, and a bar to the east," she shared.
The woman who raised him, Christilien Kotze, claims that an unknown man left the child with her family.
For Mandaha, a DNA test is now the only way to confirm the truth. "I can’t even express the type of joy I am feeling. I feel a happiness I have never felt before," she said.
However, she acknowledged that the road ahead may not be easy. "The only problem is that the child has been raised here, so it might be difficult for him to adjust, especially since he doesn’t speak Rukwangali."
Earlier this week, Kammbinda highlighted another steep hurdle: "At this stage, N$4 000 is needed for a DNA test to confirm whether he is truly Mandaha’s child. Additionally, he requires a birth certificate to verify his identity."
Late yesterday, an unidentified businessman from Rundu contacted the family and offered to cover the N$4 000 cost for the DNA tests for both mother and son.
Arandis family on the record
In a phone interview with Namibian Sun this week, Kotze (50) shared her family’s side of the story: "A man came to our place. I didn’t even see him, but later I asked, ‘Who is the man that dropped off this child?’ The boy was just five years old. We were concerned about what to do with him."
"We tried asking the child who his parents were, but he just started crying, clearly traumatised," she explained. "So, we decided to take him in, thinking that perhaps God had sent him our way."
Though Kotze’s family knew little about the boy’s origins, they raised him for 15 years without official documentation. "He did not have any papers, but we explained the situation to the schools in Arandis when we enrolled him," Kotze said.
Steven Shavuka Thandakhona, known as Kandjimi Joseph Ndjii in Arandis, went missing in 2010 while herding cattle with his twin sister in Mile 20 village, Kavango East. The twins became separated from their elder brother, who was with them at the time.
When a search party was launched, only the twin girl was found, while Thandakhona remained missing – until this week, according to his biological family.
How he, as the family suspects, ended up in Arandis, allegedly living with a man who claimed to be his father, remains a mystery.
His relieved family told the media this week that the man who took their son could not have been his biological father, as his actual father was part of the search party when he went missing. His father remains alive in Kavango East.
The man who allegedly took the young boy to Arandis had rented accommodation in the town. One day, he allegedly asked his landlord’s family to care for the boy while he attended a funeral in Rundu. However, the man never returned, reportedly leaving the landlord’s family to take the young boy in and raise him as one of their own.
Questions remain as to whether the landlord’s family made any effort to report the situation to the police to locate the boy’s family. Concerns have also been raised over their claim that they have no details about the identity of the man who rented accommodation with them.
Found
Recently, while enrolling her child at NIMT, a woman with family ties in Kavango East became aware of a young man who was unable to register due to a lack of national identity documents.
It was mentioned that the aspiring student, Kandjimi Joseph Ndjii, was originally from Kavango East but did not know his family or exact place of origin.
Concerned, the woman shared the young man's story on a WhatsApp group of Kavango residents in Arandis.
His photo was circulated, and eventually, it reached the family, who immediately noticed the man's uncanny resemblance to his twin sister.
"The picture was shown to me by a young man who said, 'This child allegedly lost his parents. He went missing, and we do not know where his family is,’" Elizabeth Mandaha (54), who believes she is the young man’s biological mother pending DNA tests, told Namibian Sun this week.
"Upon seeing the picture, I asked myself, 'Who is this child who looks like mine?' Others at home also agreed with me," Mandaha recalled.
Determined to get answers, she and her daughter contacted the person who originally shared the picture.
"My daughter called them and told them that the person in the picture resembled her brother, who had gone missing," she said.
According to Mandaha, the person on the other end of the call confirmed that the boy was of Kavango descent, born in 2005, and had been in Arandis since 2010. "I said to myself, 'Thank you, God.' This is my child that I have been searching for. He was born in 2005 and went missing in 2010. He is a twin," she said.
The same individual later sent another photo, this time showing the young man standing next to the woman who raised him. "That was all I needed to erase any doubts. The child in question was mine," Mandaha added.
The next morning, Mandaha and her family went to the Ndama Police Station in Rundu. "I narrated the story of my missing child to the police officers. They directed us to the main police station and the town council for further assistance."
Lost
Mandaha recalled how her son disappeared in April 2010. "That day, my son and his twin sister left home to look after the cattle with their older brother. They got separated from their brother, who tried searching for them by following their footprints but couldn’t find them. He returned home to alert us.
"We set out to search for them and only found the girl. We continued looking for the boy, going as far as Dirtig, about 30 km outside Rundu, where we spent the night. Eventually, we involved the police, but they had no luck either. They told us they had searched extensively and suggested leaving it in God’s hands."
Klaus Kammbinda, a relative of Mandaha, explained how they first discovered the whereabouts of the man they believe is their missing relative.
"My aunt first saw the boy when she was at NIMT applying for her child. She noticed a young man who couldn’t enrol because he had no documentation."
It was then that the boy’s story began circulating on WhatsApp.
"When we contacted the family that raised him in Arandis, they told us how they found him. His so-called father lived with them from 2010 to 2011. One day, he left, saying he had to attend a funeral in Rundu but never returned," Kammbinda said.
Medical confirmation needed
Mandaha arrived in Arandis this week to meet her son. "According to what I heard, the child was asked if he had any memories of where he came from. He said yes and described being at a village with a yard made of logs, a huge tree next to the road, and a bar to the east," she shared.
The woman who raised him, Christilien Kotze, claims that an unknown man left the child with her family.
For Mandaha, a DNA test is now the only way to confirm the truth. "I can’t even express the type of joy I am feeling. I feel a happiness I have never felt before," she said.
However, she acknowledged that the road ahead may not be easy. "The only problem is that the child has been raised here, so it might be difficult for him to adjust, especially since he doesn’t speak Rukwangali."
Earlier this week, Kammbinda highlighted another steep hurdle: "At this stage, N$4 000 is needed for a DNA test to confirm whether he is truly Mandaha’s child. Additionally, he requires a birth certificate to verify his identity."
Late yesterday, an unidentified businessman from Rundu contacted the family and offered to cover the N$4 000 cost for the DNA tests for both mother and son.
Arandis family on the record
In a phone interview with Namibian Sun this week, Kotze (50) shared her family’s side of the story: "A man came to our place. I didn’t even see him, but later I asked, ‘Who is the man that dropped off this child?’ The boy was just five years old. We were concerned about what to do with him."
"We tried asking the child who his parents were, but he just started crying, clearly traumatised," she explained. "So, we decided to take him in, thinking that perhaps God had sent him our way."
Though Kotze’s family knew little about the boy’s origins, they raised him for 15 years without official documentation. "He did not have any papers, but we explained the situation to the schools in Arandis when we enrolled him," Kotze said.
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