The body of missing 7-year-old Jona Ndalo was found and positively identified last week after he went missing on the evening of 13 July 2026.
According to police, the body of the young boy was found last Thursday (30 July) in the grassy area near Mt Currie High School by a local woman collecting firewood.
“The deceased, an African boy estimated to about 7 years old, was wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt and had a deep cut on the neck,” said SAPS spokesperson, Sergeant Mosa Hlaki.
She confirmed that the body has no other injuries and that family members positively identified the boy the next day as the missing Jona Ndalo. She said that police are investigating a case of murder.
Jona went missing on the evening of 13 July from his home in Marikana after allegedly going outside around 7pm to look for a missing soccer ball. He was said to have been wearing a grey tracksuit pants, dark pink jersey and was allegedly barefoot at the time of his disappearance.
The discovery comes shortly after workers found a skull (alleged to be that of a child) while cutting wood at Campsdale Farm in Kokstad on 25 July 2026. The matter was reported to police and an Inquest was registered for investigation.
Both incidences follow the highly publicised and mysterious disappearance of 7 year old Lathitha Mtolo who also went missing from Marikana. Lathitha went missing on 26 February after allegedly leaving her home around 4pm to go play with friends. She never returned and what followed was weeks of searches, both informal and formal, the arrest and subsequent release of identified suspects, countless protests and riots and ongoing investigations. In March a small skull, found in a bushy area of Shayamoya, was sent for DNA analysis. On 26 June police announced that the skull was a DNA match for Lathitha as per samples collected from her mother. At the time of the announcement, family members claimed that they were not satisfied with the results and were allegedly going to pursue DNA testing privately.
A number of claims have also been made that the amount of missing children in and around Kokstad has increased, leading to widespread fear and speculation.
Following the discovery of the body of Jona Ndalo, the Greater Kokstad Municipality has urged intensified investigations in a letter from Mayor MNL Madikizela addressed to Major General Phumelele Makoba, Acting Provincial Commissioner for SAPS.
“The Greaer Kokstad Municipality writes with grave concern and urgency regarding the increasing number of reported missing children in and around the Kokstad area over the past few months. Is with deep sadness that we confirm that two of the missing children have tragically been found deceased. The loss of young lives, and the continued uncertainty around other missing cases, has created immense fear, pain, and anxiety within our communities,” Mayor Madikizela stated in the letter.
The GKM further informs the Provincial Commissioner that there are multiple cases of children who have gone missing as reported by community members, ward councillors and other stakeholder, describing the circumstances under which the children went missing as ‘unclear and deeply troubling’.
“Families are desperate for answers and for visible action, The incidents have eroded public confidence and have left parents afraid to allow children to walk to school or play in their neighbourhoods,” the Mayor continued.
The GKM has urged Major General Makoba to deploy additional specialised resources including detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit and to ‘prioritise and expedite’ outstanding cases. They further urge that a multi-disciplinary task team comprising of SAPS, Social Development, Community Policing Forums, and the Municipality be established to coordinate search efforts, create public awareness, and offer support to affected families. The GKM has also urged increase visible policing especially around schools, taxi ranks and high-risk areas during peak hours.
The mayor further highlighted the municipalities willingness to work together with the SAPS by providing municipal facilities for meetings and briefing while also assisting with community mobilisation and providing support for public awareness campaigns. He also urged public briefings among the SAPS leadership, municipality and community to report progress made on investigations and in an effort to restore public confidence in the authorities tasked with their safety.
“We trust that you share our sense of urgency and our commitment to justice for the victims and safety for all children in Kokstad,” the mayor concluded.
- A body found in the bushy area near Mt Currie School, has allegedly been positively identified as that of missing Marikana child, Jona Ndalo. Photo: Supplied.
