PAPI MISSING FOR A YEAR NOW
TODAY marks a year since Papi Tobias disappeared after he left home to go and watch a football match at a local tavern in Boiketlong, an informal settlement in Sebokeng. He has never been seen again. The 47-year-old father of three was a community activist who was always at the forefront of protests, fighting for housing and development.
His disappearance has left his family distraught, especially his 74year-old mother, Miriam Tobias.
“The pain of not knowing what happened to my son is too much. Sometimes I feel like I’m losing my mind. I don’t want to die without knowing what happened to him, I need closure,” she said.
Tobias disappeared shortly after a community meeting about housing where he chastised the committee of the squatter camp for missing funds.
“We heard rumours that people were looking for Papi and that his life was in danger. He had not been sleeping at his home before he disappeared and his dog was also killed”, said a member of the Boiketlong Concern Group, who did not want to be named.
In recent years Boiketlong has been marred by violent protests. In 2013 four residents known as ‘The Boiketlong Four’ were sentenced to 16 years in prison for arson and malicious damage to property after allegedly burning down the house of a local councillor.
They are currently out on bail pending their appeal at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
Resident Lerata Rabolila died after he was shot dead in 2014 during a protest by people wearing ANC
“The police want us to do the investigation for them
regalia who believed the community protest was organised by EFF members. Nobody has been charged for his murder.
Tobias’s family believe that his disappearance was politically motivated, that he got too close, and stepped on a few toes.
Three police investigators handled the case and, according to the family, none of them updated the family on progress of the investigation.
“We have heard nothing from the police, they want us to do the investigation for them, every time we enquire, they ask us what have we heard? No one seem to know what is going on,” Tobias’s sister, Prudence Tobias, said.
Meanwhile, a R1-billion housing project was approved for Boiketlong by MEC of cooperative governance and traditional affairs and human settlements Paul Mashatile last year, but the squatter camp’s Concerned Group say it’s not excited about it.
“The community is excited about houses, they seem to have forgotten about the person who was fighting for them to have houses. All they talk about is houses,” a member of the Concerned Group, Boy Mabizela, said.
Gauteng police spokesman Kay Makhubela said that the police were still investigating a case of a missing person. But he said they had had no lead so far and called on the community to assist if they had any information that would help with the case.
MEC for community safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has not lived up to her word since she met with the family in March last year and promised to get back to them in a week.
Questions sent to her office on Thursday were not answered either at the time of going to print.