Hwange schoolboy missing after leaving home at night

BY NOTHANDO DUBE

A Hwange family is searching for their 11-year-old son, who disappeared a week ago after slipping from the house in the middle of the night.

Tanaka Neshena, a Grade Six pupil  at Hwange’s Thomas Coulter Primary School was last seen on August 25 when he left his Madumabisa Village home.

According to his mother, Sharai Neshena, Tanaka’s 17 year-old brother noticed that he was not in the house around 10 PM.

“I had gone to sleep and I had no idea that Tanaka was not in the house,” the distraught mother said.

“I was only alerted by his brother who came in from his studies to find Tanaka not in the room and up to now we have not gotten any leads as to where he went.”

Tanaka Neshena

According to the mother, Tanaka had been earlier reprimanded by his father who told him to put away toys and focus on his school work.

“His father had earlier advised him to put away his wire cars and do his homework and it was around 5PM and he did as he was instructed,” she said.

“After supper he washed plates and cleaned the surroundings and he then asked if he could close the fowl run and I advised him to do so later.

“He did not show any unusual behaviour throughout the evening except for speed in doing his tasks and the other thing I noticed was that he volunteered to wash dinner plates when it was not his duty, but we took it lightly.

Upon searching his bedroom, the parents discovered that Tanaka took off with his satchel and a pair of shoes.

“One of our neighbours told us that he had met Tanaka that night and identified him by also asking where he was going, but in his response we heard that he denied being our child,” she added.

“We have tried to check with our relatives in both Rusape and Masvingo where we come from and we have also reached out to our church members, but in vain.

“There is no missing money in the house and we wonder where he could have gone.”

Anyone with information can contact the Neshena family on 0776604091 or on 0773378450.