“We Thought It Was Nappies”: A Foul Smell Leads to a Family’s Worst Fear

For days, hope held a family together in Mokopane.

They searched villages, walked dusty paths, and scanned bushes under the harsh Limpopo sun, believing, desperately, that their loved one would still come home. Instead, the answer arrived in the most devastating way: through a foul smell drifting from a nearby river.

What residents first dismissed as discarded nappies turned out to be the body of 22-year-old Malose Samuel Kgafela, missing since New Year’s Day.

A Normal Goodbye That Became the Last

Kgafela, from Skilpad village in Mokamole, was last seen on 1 January 2026, after New Year’s celebrations. According to family spokesperson Mable Mashatole, the final sighting was brief and unremarkableexactly why it haunts her now.

She saw him around 2pm in Makekeng village, walking with a friend. They exchanged greetings. Nothing felt wrong.

“That was the last time I saw him alive,” she said.

When he didn’t return home that evening, the family assumed he had stayed over with relatives. In rural communities, this isn’t unusual. But as hours turned into days, unease set in.

From Concern to Panic

By Saturday, January 3, the silence felt wrong.

“He is not someone who disappears for two days without coming home,” Mashatole said.

With no cellphone to traceKgafela had lost it weeks earlierthe family relied on word of mouth, relatives, and eventually social media. His photo was shared on a local Facebook community page, a familiar modern lifeline in missing person cases.

Kgafela had recently returned home on 15 December after working in Pretoria. Fearing he might have gone back to Gauteng, the family contacted people there too. No one had seen him.

By Monday, family members and volunteers began physically searching nearby villages and open land.

“We were worried sick,” Mashatole said. “He was young but responsible.”

The Smell That Changed Everything

The turning point came midweek, when a community member arrived with disturbing news: there was a powerful smell coming from the Mmetlane River.

“At first, people thought it was nappies people throw there,” Mashatole said. “But the smell didn’t feel right.”

Because Kgafela had been missing for days, the family decided to go and see for themselves.

As they approached the riverbank, they spotted a shoe.

“That’s when we knew,” she said quietly.

Police were called immediately.

A Community Effort, A Painful Recovery

Limpopo police confirmed that Kgafela had been officially reported missing on January 5 at Tinmyne SAPS. On Wednesday morning, community members searching the area noticed the smell and alerted authorities.

The Mogalakwena Mine Rescue Team was brought in to retrieve the body from the river.

Police confirmed an inquest docket has been opened and investigations are ongoing.

A Young Life Cut Short

Kgafela was found wearing the same clothes he had on the last day he was seen.

He had been working for about eight months and had plansquiet onesfor his future. According to his family, he wanted to support his sister and improve their home. The siblings were orphans.

“He wanted to change things at home,” Mashatole said. “He was humble, quiet, and always helping.”

He avoided parties, preferred being useful, and was known for lending a hand wherever he could.

Grief Shared Beyond One Household

News of the discovery spread quickly through Mokopane, with social media posts reflecting a mix of grief, shock, and angerparticularly around safety and the vulnerability of young people returning home during festive periods.

In many Limpopo communities, rivers are part of daily lifeplaces for washing, walking past, or children playing nearby. Discoveries like this shake that sense of normality.

For Kgafela’s family, the waiting is overbut the pain has only begun.

“Until the last moment, we hoped we would find him alive,” Mashatole said.

Now, they are left with memories, unanswered questions, and a silence that no search party can fill.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com