By Staff Reporter
MBUZINI – A 92-year-old man, Mr Solomon Majomeya Sithole, has been found alive after a two-day search operation in the dense bushes of Masibekela.
Sithole was reported missing on Monday, 08 December 2025. Police in Mbuzini received the inquiry at around 11am, and a search operation — involving SAPS members, family, and community volunteers — began at approximately 1pm. The search continued until late in the evening before being temporarily called off.
On Tuesday morning, 09 December 2025, the search resumed with additional support from the Mpumalanga Police Search and Rescue Unit and Crime Intelligence. A member from Tonga SAPS also deployed a drone to help scan the area, but the elderly man remained unlocated.
By midday, the SAPS Search and Rescue Team reinforced the operation, and at around 2:20pm, the SAPS Air Wing helicopter was dispatched to widen the search radius.
The breakthrough came when the Air Wing team spotted the elderly man lying under a tree deep in the bush. Although weak, he was alive. He was immediately airlifted to the nearest hospital for urgent medical assessment and care.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the collective effort of all involved.
“We are grateful for the teamwork that ensured the safe recovery of the senior citizen. We urge communities to take special care of elderly people, especially those who may be vulnerable,” he said.
Further updates will follow as authorities monitor the elderly man’s recovery.
