KZN Family Buries Only the Leg of Missing Teen After Drowning Tragedy
A grieving family from Ntshawini, KwaDukuza, was forced to bury only the leg of their 15-year-old son, Mnqobi Mngadi, this past Sunday, weeks after he drowned while swimming with friends, as the rest of his remains have not been found.
Mnqobi Mngadi, a Grade 8 learner at Tshelenkosi High School in Shakaville, drowned on 1 July 2025 while swimming with four friends at the prohibited “KwaMjekisi” beach near the uMvoti Mouth.
His mother, Ms Zinhle Mngadi, told Isolezwe that the family eventually decided to proceed with a funeral for his leg alone, as too much time had passed without recovering the rest of his body.
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A day at the beach turns tragic
According to Ms Mngadi, Mnqobi Mngadi had gone for a second swim with two friends, while the other two had already come out of the water, complaining of not feeling well.
“They had all swum out together at first. The two friends were seen returning to shore, but Mnqobi Mngadi disappeared shortly afterwards. He shouted to his older friend, who was on the beach, asking for help because something was holding his foot and he could not swim anymore,” she recalled.
Friends tried to get help from lifeguards, but by the time they arrived later that afternoon, confusion had already set in over the location. The lifeguards reportedly searched a different “KwaMjekisi” beach, mistaking it for where the incident occurred.
“When they finally searched the correct spot, they found nothing. They said the area was filled with rocks and even had a wall under the water,” Ms Mngadi said.
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Search efforts questioned
The search was later handed over to divers, but Ms Mngadi claims the family was left dissatisfied.
“They never went deep underwater but kept diving above the surface. They told us my child’s body was no longer in that spot and could wash up anywhere — KwaDukuza, Richards Bay, or even Port Shepstone,” she said.
Private search teams reportedly told the family they had seen something resembling a body trapped in the rocks using drones, but when this was shared with police divers, the claim was dismissed as a patch of sand.
Ms Mngadi further alleged that a diver from Durban told her he would not risk the safety of his team in the rough conditions where the object had been spotted. On 7 July, two days after Mnqobi Mngadi’s memorial service in Buhleni, she was informed that a human leg had washed up at Zinkwazi Beach.
“I went to see it, but I was convinced it was not my son’s leg. Police insisted I provide a DNA sample,” she said.
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DNA confirms the devastating truth
On 1 August 2025, she received a call from the police saying DNA results had returned. When the family went to the station on 4 August, the results confirmed it was indeed Mnqobi Mngadi’s leg.
They took the leg to a private mortuary, where Ms Mngadi examined it closely and recognised it by its toes.
“I decided to bury what we had. People told me it is done in such cases in our culture. I could not keep the leg in cold storage while hoping for other parts to be found,” she said.
She explained that traditional cleansing rituals were performed, and a spiritual ceremony was held to “bring his body together” in spirit. If other remains are found later, she plans to bury them in the same grave.
“I am still in pain and left with questions about what happened to the rest of my son’s body,” she said.
KwaDukuza police have not yet issued an official response to the Mnqobi Mngadi incident.
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