Mma Mhlongo goes missing

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 6, 2010 00:00

 

The Botswana Police Services, together with their South African and Mozambican counterparts are working day and night looking for radio Botswana's morning show regular caller known to hordes of listeners as- Mma Mhlongo. It is said that Mma Mhlongo  visited her husband, Petrus Mhlongo who is himself radio phone in programme personality on the December 22 in Mozambique but never made it to the couple's home in Mozambique.When she failed to show up on December 23 as expected, her husband reported the matter to the Botswana police.

Senior Superintendent Dipheko Motube of Botswana Police Public Relations Unit said that upon the report the police immediately contacted their counterparts in Mozambique and South Africa. He said that they are yet to establish whether she had crossed into South Africa, but the SA police systems are down. 'Our investigations will get a direction once we establish whether she had crossed into South Africa.

At the moment, South African police say their systems are down. We have opened a case of missing person,' he said.

However, at the couple's yard in Block 8 people are said to be gathering every evening trying to get information on what could have gone wrong. Mmegi team visited the house on Tuesday afternoon where relatives, neighbours and family friends were gathered. An old man who introduced himself as a parent of the missing woman said that he came all the way from home after a death notification nine days ago, but he still can't understand what is going on. 'Kana dilo di didiakana fela ga ke itse gore ga tweng,' he lamented.

A member of the public alleged that on Monday there was a near-riot when the gathered people demanded answers as to what has happened to their relative. 'The police were called to calm the situation,' said a member of the public who preferred not to be mentioned.

Motube said he does not have information to that effect but confirmed that Mr Mhlongo who arrived in Botswana last Saturday was assisting them with investigations. He denied that he was in detention saying he had been cooperative. The family said they were not in a position to release any information without the permission of the children who were at work at the time of the visit. Mlhongo was also not present because he had gone to meet the police.

Mr and Mma Mhlongo are regular callers in both Radio Botswana and RB2.
They make phone calls to the stations morning, noon, night and midnight whenever there is a topic that needs public discussion - be it economics, politics, sports, science and technology or even witchcraft. Usually, the husband phones the radio station makes his comment and later gives the phone to the wife. 'Tshwarelela Mma Mhlongo jalo,' is his pay off line.

They compete for the airwaves with Rre Dithatho, Rre Kolo in Rre Busang, Rre Direlang and others who are regular callers.