News / National
Missing Baines pupil: Family raising reward money
01 Sep 2019 at 09:46hrs | Views
THE family of missing Baines Primary School pupil in Bulawayo, Tinomutenda Faith Mambewu, said they are still making efforts to find her and are putting together a reward for her safe return.
Tinomutenda went missing more than a month ago on her way from school with a fellow classmate. In an interview, her guardian Ms Marian Maphosa said the family was in desperate need for any information that will lead to her whereabouts
"We are desperate for any leads to where she could be. We have been checking all possible places even with relatives to no avail. There have been suggestions that we must have a reward offered to anyone who may know anything. We are still to finalise on it though as a family," she said.
According to Ms Mpofu, Tinomutenda who is her late sister's daughter left for school and just vanished after that.
"Tino's mum passed away years back and I have been caring for her. She went to school like she used to do every weekday at around 7am. As people who did not know whether the child went or did not go to school we had to go to the school and confirm if she had arrived. Her class teacher confirmed that indeed she came to school but when they knocked off that was the last she saw her," she said.
Ms Maphosa said the teacher also said after dismissing, she only remained with pupils who were practising music and those who were on cleaning duty of which Tinomutenda was not in either group.
Ms Maphosa said the following day, she checked again at the school and talked to those who were with her after knocking off.
"We went to the school again the following morning to try and gather more information. We looked for Tino's friend and she said they were together after school and they walked home together. She said they parted ways in North End when Tino said she was going to pass by an uncle's house and that was when she last saw her friend," she added.
The family however, said there were no known uncles that she was supposed to visit in the area.
"Tino knew that she should not entertain strangers so I am shocked how she got into this. She has always been a cheerful child with no mood swings or anything of that sort," she said.
Police in Bulawayo said anyone with information about the girl's whereabouts may contact ZRP Sauerstown police on (0292) 200 960 or the investigating officer Constable Fortune Sigauke on 0773 642 352 or 0738 202 117 or the nearest police station.
Tinomutenda went missing more than a month ago on her way from school with a fellow classmate. In an interview, her guardian Ms Marian Maphosa said the family was in desperate need for any information that will lead to her whereabouts
"We are desperate for any leads to where she could be. We have been checking all possible places even with relatives to no avail. There have been suggestions that we must have a reward offered to anyone who may know anything. We are still to finalise on it though as a family," she said.
According to Ms Mpofu, Tinomutenda who is her late sister's daughter left for school and just vanished after that.
"Tino's mum passed away years back and I have been caring for her. She went to school like she used to do every weekday at around 7am. As people who did not know whether the child went or did not go to school we had to go to the school and confirm if she had arrived. Her class teacher confirmed that indeed she came to school but when they knocked off that was the last she saw her," she said.
Ms Maphosa said the teacher also said after dismissing, she only remained with pupils who were practising music and those who were on cleaning duty of which Tinomutenda was not in either group.
"We went to the school again the following morning to try and gather more information. We looked for Tino's friend and she said they were together after school and they walked home together. She said they parted ways in North End when Tino said she was going to pass by an uncle's house and that was when she last saw her friend," she added.
The family however, said there were no known uncles that she was supposed to visit in the area.
"Tino knew that she should not entertain strangers so I am shocked how she got into this. She has always been a cheerful child with no mood swings or anything of that sort," she said.
Police in Bulawayo said anyone with information about the girl's whereabouts may contact ZRP Sauerstown police on (0292) 200 960 or the investigating officer Constable Fortune Sigauke on 0773 642 352 or 0738 202 117 or the nearest police station.
Source - zimpapers
