The police in the //Kharas region are still scrambling to find clues around the disappearance of the five-year-old Spencer Mandela Nakale, who has now been missing for over a year.

In a telephonic interview with New Era, the lead investigator into the case of Mandela, Theodore Kotungondo, said the police have done all they could to get to the bottom of the case. However, to this date, there has not been a trace nor any lead into his disappearance.

“We have new information that was brought to us by the mother of a particular spiritualist, and we are looking into that. Otherwise, the investigations are continuing,” he stated.

In June last year, Mandela’s mother, Julia Ndafyaalako contacted a psychic from South Africa, who goes by the name of Diva D’Andrea, to help her find her son.

According to her, she has been told by close relatives that Diva D’Andrea, who also runs a Facebook page ‘Unsolved Cases - Hosted by Psychic Medium Diva’, helps people get closure on cases that police failed to solve.

“We have been in contact on WhatsApp, and I forwarded her all the information regarding the case of my son and his photos. That same month, she asked me to pay her N$780, which I could only do in September since I didn’t have any money,” she narrated.

Earlier this month, the psychic posted on her Facebook page about her ‘findings’ in the case of the toddler.

The psychic claims someone connected to the paternal aunt of Mandela is linked to his disappearance.

“He is known to the children, and has been in the paternal aunt’s home. I feel he took the child to where he stays, which is really not far from the aunt’s home. Here, he did unspeakable things to this child and ended the boy’s life,” reads the Facebook post.

The psychic also accused Mandela’s aunt of negligence, claiming she was guilty of leaving the children without adult supervision, whilst she went to work.

Ndafyaalako told this reporter that she is in desperate need of finding closure in the disappearance of her son.

“I took those findings to the police, and we again went to search for him. But we could not find the specific location where the psychic claimed my son is buried,” she said.

Ndafyaalako added that she will do everything in her power to find her son.

“A lot of time has passed, and I think the police investigation is taking long. If there really is anyone who abducted him, they might already have found another plan to escape or get away with it,” she cried.

Ndafyaalako is also pleading with the public to help her find her son.

“I am desperate, and need to know where my son is. I hope someone will help me follow the sketches from the psychic so that we locate that place, or at least if the police could rush the process and get to the bottom of it,” said the grieving mother.

Mandela has been missing since 28 December 2020 when he disappeared from his aunt’s house in Lüderitz.

Private investigators 

Last year, a local private investigation company, Zone Safety, volunteered to offer free services to help find Mandela.

Asked how far they are with the investigations, founder of the firm Erastus Nghuulikwa said they have completed 60% of the investigation. However, they cannot share what they found so far as the information is still sketchy.

“We are working together with the police, and we have given a report for them to arrest the aunt as she has contravened the Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015. The police still have not gotten back to us or done something regarding that report,” he added.

Contrary to what Nghuulikwa said, Kotungondo retorted that since the firm got involved in the investigations last year in March, they have not provided the police with any findings or report.

“They must please give you that report if they claim to have submitted it to us,” stated Kotungondo. - ashikololo@nepc.com.na