A sombre mood has enveloped the Moraba family after the grandmother of a man who has been missing for a week after disappearing in a flooded stream died after hearing the news.
Sophy Moraba, 78, of Bothashoek, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo, died on Friday night after hearing news from neighbours that her grandson Godfrey Moraba, 30, was missing after the taxi he was driving was swept away during heavy rains.
Godfrey, the taxi driver and another vehicle, attempted to cross a flooded bridge between Steelpoort and Lydenburg on the R577 on Tuesday.
The vehicles were recovered but Godfrey and three other people are still missing.
Her granddaughter and caregiver Glory Moraba, 35, said: “We had kept the news about Godfrey being missing because they were very close. She kept asking us where he was and we told her he had gone to work. She knew he was a taxi driver and transport people everywhere and would sometimes not come home for days due to the long distance trips.
“She heard a conversation of neighbours who frequently visited our home after the devastating news broke out. Neighbours had come to comfort us after police stopped the search on Friday. She then heard the conversation which did not sit well with her.”
Glory said her grandmother confronted them.
“She demanded answers from us and she did not seem fine. She was on chronic medication for diabetes and high blood pressure. We still tried to cover up and lied.
“We comforted her and gave her food that evening. She had pap, chicken and watermelon. She went to bed and did not wake up in the morning. She was a talkative person but after overhearing the conversation, she went quiet,” Glory said.
Godfrey's father Khupa Moraba, 52, said the family was disappointed that the search and rescue mission which they were told by officials would resume on Monday did not.
“This morning I woke up early to go to the scene to meet the divers at 9am. They did not come. It is amazing how they are working. I demand an explanation why they are doing this to us. We think they are failing us.
“We want the body so that we can find closure. If he is dead, we will bury him in dignity and his spirit will rest in peace. I am an African man and I am afraid if I do not find his remains, there won't be peace and harmony in the family,” Khupa said.
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