KZN family’s search for 7 relatives continues

THE Hlophe family in Coffee Farm, Kwandengezi, near Pinetown are desperate to find seven missing family members who were washed away by the devastating floods last month.

Six of the missing were children under the age of 10 and the seventh was a 67-year-old.

Initially, eight members of the family went missing but the body of 49-year-old Zanele Hlophe was recovered some days after the floods.

Among the missing is 1-year-old Hlelokuhle, who celebrated her first birthday just three days before she disappeared.

The missing toddler's mother, Sinenhlanhla Hlophe, said that on the night of the incident she had gone out to help relatives when she suddenly saw a high wave of water swallow the house that her child and seven other relatives were in.

“We had a party to celebrate her first birthday, little did we know that it would be her last,” said Sinenhlanhla.

The family members were washed away after flood waters engulfed their home.

Kholisiwe Hlophe, who lost her 3-year-old son Dumolwakhe, said she had never imagined her son's third birthday would be celebrated in his absence and the day made the absence of her missing child even harder.

The family said metro police search and rescue teams have been to their home to try a recovery mission but their efforts had been hindered by the large boulders and rocks surrounding it.

“The search team informed us that their rescue dogs can't sniff or go under the rocks, and each time they return empty handed,” said Kholisiwe.