Orange Farm family demands answers after murder of Sanele Gontsana (12)

A grieving family in Orange Farm is demanding answers after a 12-year-old boy was found dead, beaten and burned days after he went missing.

Sanele Gontsana had left home to play with friends nearby, but never returned, sparking a search by worried relatives and neighbours.

Family members say Sanele, who had special needs, was well known in the community and often visited friends in nearby homes.

His aunt, Feziwe Gontsana, told 702 that Sanele had challenges but was deeply loved by his family.

"He was a loving child. He had special needs; he struggled to speak, but he loved his family and would always meet his father when he returned home from work. He was full of love."

On the day Sanele went missing, his mother bathed him, after which he went to visit a neighbour. It was the last time she would see him alive.

When his mother later spoke to the neighbour, she was told Sanele had left and was on his way home. But Sanele never made it back home.

"She waited and waited and waited, and he never came back."

Feziwe says the family received a WhatsApp message with a number to call to have Sanele returned. Before they were able to call, another message was received from someone claiming they had Sanele and had been instructed to kill him.

"This person says he was just the driver; he doesn't kill anyone, but to send R200 so he can bring the boy."

The police told the family not to send the money, fearing it could be a scam, but said they would trace the number. Feziwe says she does not know if it was ever traced.

Eight days after he disappeared, the search to find him ended in tragedy when Sanele’s body was discovered in a ditch. He had been beaten and his body burned.

"People came to the house to say they had found his body. They had a photograph, and they said it was Sanele. I didn't recognise him. His body was swollen, he was burned, his right arm was broken, and he was undressed except for his shoes."

The family says the pain has been made worse by unanswered questions about what happened to Sanele and who is responsible.

"The police said he was dumped in a place where there was sewage, and sometimes that can make the body appear burned."

They are calling for justice and urging authorities to ensure those behind the killing are found.

"We need justice."

To listen to Gontsana in conversation with 702's Bongani Bingwa, use the audio player below: