The mother of the two Mfabantfu teenage girls, whose disappearance sparked days of anxiety, has appealed for her daughters to be placed at the Vulamasango Juvenile Correctional Facility, saying she believes professional intervention was now necessary to help reform their behaviour.
Speaking after both girls were found safe, Simphiwe Mngometulu said although she loved her daughters dearly, their repeated disappearances had left her emotionally exhausted and fearing for their lives.
Mngometulu said the past few days had been the most difficult she had experienced as a mother. She said she had spent three sleepless nights worrying about her daughters after they went missing, particularly against the backdrop of recent cases of people disappearing and later being found dead.
“I have been having sleepless nights the past few days, worrying about the disappearance of my children,” she said.
Mngometulu said one of the girls was found on Thursday, while she only learnt that the second daughter, Setsabile, had also been found after receiving a telephone call from the children’s grandmother.
She said both girls were safe and in police custody.
Although relieved by their safe return, Mngometulu said the latest incident was not isolated.
She revealed that her daughters had a history of disappearing from home and would often spend time at other people’s homes without informing the family.
She said she only discovered this pattern after repeated incidents and had made several attempts to speak to the girls about their behaviour, but without success.
According to Mngometulu, the girls behaved well while at home but would disappear once they were out of her sight.
She said she had reached a point where she believed parental guidance alone was no longer enough.
“I would love for them to go to Vulamasango and come back when they are reformed,” she said.
Mngometulu stressed that her wish did not stem from anger or rejection, but from her desire to see her daughters receive the help they need.
She said she wanted nothing but the best for them and believed professional rehabilitation would give them a better chance of changing their behaviour.
The mother said her greatest fear during the girls’ disappearance was that they could become victims of crime. With recent reports of missing people later being found dead, she feared her daughters might suffer a similar fate at the hands of criminals.
She said the emotional strain prompted her to seek assistance from the correctional services, where she received guidance from a psychologist.
Mngometulu said counselling helped her cope with the distress she had experienced over the past three days and gave her emotional support while the search for her daughters continued.
She said she appreciated the assistance and advice she received from the professionals.
Mngometulu also thanked the media and members of the public for helping to publicise the disappearance of her daughters, saying the support shown to her family during the ordeal had been invaluable.
She said despite both girls being found, she had not yet had an opportunity to speak to them because they remained at the police station.
“We only want what is best for the children,” she said.
The siblings’ disappearance had triggered widespread concern in Mfabantfu, particularly following recent high-profile cases involving missing women in the area. However, the police have maintained that the girls’ case is not linked to those investigations.
Their repeated disappearances may signal deeper issues – Psychologist
The safe return of two Mfabantfu teenagers has reignited discussions about adolescent behaviour, with psychologist Sanele Dlamini saying repeated disappearances from home should be viewed as potential indicators of underlying emotional or social challenges rather than acts of defiance alone.
Dlamini said while every family’s circumstances were different, recurring incidents of teenagers leaving home without informing their parents often pointed to issues that required careful assessment instead of immediate punishment.
He said adolescence was a complex stage of development during which young people experienced rapid emotional, psychological and social changes while attempting to establish independence.
According to Dlamini, some teenagers who repeatedly leave home may be influenced by peer relationships, conflict within the family, emotional distress or a desire to escape situations they find overwhelming. He cautioned against assuming that every child who runs away was simply being rebellious.
“Behaviour is often a form of communication,” Dlamini said. “When a teenager repeatedly leaves home, parents and caregivers should ask not only ‘Where are they going?’ but also ‘What are they trying to tell us through their actions?'”
He said parents should maintain open communication with their children and create environments where young people felt safe discussing challenges without fear of immediate judgment.
Dlamini said this did not mean parents should ignore unacceptable behaviour, but that discipline should be balanced with efforts to understand the reasons behind it.
He added that repeated disappearances exposed young people to significant risks, including exploitation, violence, substance abuse and other forms of harm.
“Each time a child disappears, the level of danger increases. That is why every missing child report should be treated with urgency,” he said.
Commenting on reports that the girls’ mother wished for them to receive rehabilitation, Dlamini said structured intervention could benefit some families, but only after a comprehensive assessment by qualified professionals.
He said no single solution was appropriate for every child.
“Some young people may benefit from counselling, others from family therapy, social work intervention or mentorship. The most effective response depends on understanding what is driving the behaviour,” he said.
Dlamini stressed that parents should not feel ashamed to seek professional assistance if they believed they had exhausted their own efforts.
He said psychologists, social workers, teachers and community leaders had important roles in supporting families experiencing persistent behavioural challenges.
The psychologist also appealed to communities to avoid labelling or stigmatising teenagers who had gone missing. He said public criticism often made it more difficult for young people to rebuild trust with their families and reintegrate into their communities.
Instead, he encouraged communities to support both parents and children while promoting dialogue about adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
Dlamini said the recent disappearance of the Mfabantfu teenagers had generated widespread concern because it occurred against the backdrop of other high-profile incidents involving missing people.
He said such circumstances naturally heightened fear among parents and underscored the importance of ensuring children knew how to stay safe and where to seek help if they found themselves in difficult situations.
Ultimately, Dlamini said the goal should not simply be to bring missing children home, but to address the underlying issues that caused them to leave in the first place.
“When we understand the child, we are more likely to change the behaviour,” he said. “The focus should be on restoring healthy relationships, improving communication and giving young people the support they need to make better decisions.”
