POLITICS

"Happiness! Mongezi: My kidnappers fed me pap and meat..." - Daily Sun

The front page and lead story of SA's largest daily newspaper, July 22 2014

Daily Sun (July 22 2014) - FOR six days a desperate mum lay in bed, worrying, crying and praying for her missing son. And her prayers have been answered.

HER SON, TOTALLY UNHURT, IS BACK IN HIS MOTHER'S LOVING ARMS.

Little Mongezi (6), back with his smiling mum Lizzy Phike (39), said he missed his mother terribly but said his kidnappers treated him very well. "I was never hungry. They gave me pap and meat to eat," said the smiling boy.

"They even took me to another house to bath me."  For Lizzy the six days were hell. "I have lived on nothing but  prayer," said the woman from Ekangala in Bronkhorstspruit, whose son was kidnapped on Tuesday. Lizzy said her joy knew no bounds when she got a call on Sunday night to say her son had been found. "It was just after midnight when the police took me to a childcare centre in Joburg.  "My son looked fine," she said.

Four hours later Mongezi was back home.

"We sang six songs to welcome him when he got home because he has been missing for six days. "God is indeed still with me," said Lizzy.

Mongezi and his father, Aaron Phike were at an intersection in Masada, Bronkhorstspruit in their Nissan Sentra when four men approached them. Two were armed. Aaron got no sympathy from the thugs.

A family friend said Aaron's hands and feet were tied with wire, and his head covered with a plastic bag taped around his neck. His identity document, wallet, credit cards and phone were taken.

The friend said Aaron was hit on the head and left for dead at a construction site, while the hijackers fled with Mongezi. The father was later found and taken to hospital in Delmas. It appears the hijackers wanted to steal Aaron's Nissan Sentra so they could sell it, or sell the parts.

When the SunTeam arrived at the shelter, the grade one pupil from Sihluziwe Primary School said his kidnappers had taken him to the shelter.

"They dropped me at the gate and I walked inside the office and found a woman inside. I told her I was alone and she called the police," he said.

The boy's brother Katlego (19) said it has been hell since his little brother's disappearance. "I missed him so much," said Katlego. On Sunday President Jacob Zuma called on the public to help find him. Lizzy said Mongezi should be back at school next week. SAPS Captain Sarah Mcira confirmed that Mongezi was found in Joburg.

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See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

 

The Daily Sun is South Africa's largest daily newspaper with an average circulation of 297,614 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 4th Quarter 2013) and a readership of 5.7m (as per AMPS 2012ab). Its Facebook page can be accessed here. It can be followed on Twitter here. To find about advertising on the Daily Sun click here.

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