Wandisile Mda: Missing Tembisa man found dead, family confirms

The family of Wandisile Mda (52) from Tembisa has confirmed that the missing man has been found dead, ending more than a week of searching, Joburg Etc reports.

Mda was last seen on Friday, 30 October 2026. His body was later discovered in a decomposed condition in the area between Elandsfontein and Ravensklip, and it could not be identified at first, according to Missing Person South Africa.

On Monday, 9 November, Mda’s sister received a call from Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services. An unidentified body was in their care, she was told and a family member was needed to identify it.

The family went to confirm, and the deceased was Wandisile. The circumstances of his death have not been established, and no cause of death has been made public.

Why identification can take time

When a body is badly decomposed, it is often impossible to recognise a person by sight. That can leave families in limbo while they wait for a match.

Families searching for a missing relative are often advised to check with forensic mortuaries as well as police stations and hospitals. There is also no waiting period before a person can be reported missing. The sooner a report is made, the sooner a search can begin.

Tembisa, in Ekurhuleni, is one of the largest townships in Gauteng. In communities like this, missing-person appeals tend to travel quickly through community pages and WhatsApp groups, and that appears to be what happened here.

The Mda family has thanked everyone who shared the appeal and supported them during the search. For them, the wait for answers is over. The grief is only beginning.

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