11-year-old girl who vanished while playing on a sports field found dead in river - IOL

Athi Zimi Mnguni, 11, went missing while playing on a sports field in Ngqeleni on August 30. Her body was found in a river on Thursday.

The search for an 11-year-old girl who vanished while playing at a sports field has ended in tragedy after her decomposed body was found in a river almost four weeks later.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said little Athi Zimi Mnguni had been missing from Nomcamba in the Zinduneni area of Ngqeleni in the Eastern Cape since August 30.

"The decomposed body of the victim was found in the river of Nomcamba Locality, Zinduneni administrative area in Ngqeleni on Thursday by the local people who were hunting in the forest," Mawisa said.

"The body was identified by her family as well as community members and was still wearing the same clothes she wore on the day of disappearance."

Athi went missing while she was playing on a nearby sports field with two other children, aged six and nine, police said in a statement on September 4.

The girl was reported missing at Ngqeleni police station the next day after her family could not find her.

When she disappeared, she was wearing blue denim shorts, a maroon T-shirt, a blue tracksuit top and a grey hat, police said.

Police from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit in Mthatha, formerly Umtata, searched for her with Ngqeleni police and the K9 unit.

Members of the mounted unit later joined the search, and police and people from the area went door to door through the surrounding villages.

By September 4, the search had yielded nothing, police said.

Investigator Captain Isaac Nomanjila had appealed to anyone with information on her disappearance to contact him or Crime Stop on 08600-10111.