A year after City of Cape Town employee Pumla Malueke went missing without a trace while on duty in Khayelitsha, her family and community are still searching for answers.

Now, a Patriotic Alliance councillor is demanding clarity over the city’s decision to terminate her employment.

Malueke was last seen on July 26, 2024, at the Khayelitsha Training Centre in Village 2 North, where she worked under Subcouncil 10.

She never returned home. Her belongings, including her handbag, house keys, and lunch bag, were later found inside her office. Her family has not heard from her since.

Councillor Nombongo Kayi has expressed concern over the city’s handling of the matter during the council meeting on Wednesday, describing the termination of her employment as deeply troubling.

“The response was that the matter would be sent to JP Smith’s office, but we wanted to know which direction she went. We are not aware of why her employment was terminated, and we want to know on what basis. This is alarming, it happened at a City of Cape Town subcouncil,” he said.

Kayi added that Malueke’s daughter has also been left in the dark, having last communicated with the city last year.

She described July 26, 2025, as a painful reminder for the community of Khayelitsha and city staff, marking a full year since Malueke was last seen.

“The most devastating part of this is the city’s reaction. They terminated her services as if she had absconded under normal circumstances. This insensitivity hasn’t only subjected the family to emotional trauma but financial distress. If Mama Pumla had been white, I believe there would have been a financial reward offered to help find her. But because she’s a black woman, it’s like she was erased without a second thought,” Kayi said.

She questioned what role the city had played in supporting the police investigation, especially given the strong response the city made during the Joshlin Smith case in Saldanha, where K9 units, drones, marine officers, and search teams were deployed.

“We would like to know what the city has done to assist police in finding Mam Pumla. What resources have been allocated? Were the CCTV cameras at the facility operational on that day? And if so, what area do they cover?”

Kayi said there had been vague feedback about the cameras and urged the city to take the public into its confidence.

The councillor also questioned the legality of the city’s actions in terminating her employment, citing the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

“There must be mutual agreement between an employee and employer to terminate a contract. In this case, the employee went missing on city property. On what grounds was the contract ended? Can the city kindly justify that decision?”

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis encouraged Kayi to write her concerns down and said that he wasn’t aware of the missing staffer.

Malueke’s daughter, Siya Siyoni, recalled the confusion and fear that gripped her when she realised her mother hadn’t picked up her child as usual.

“My daughter’s crèche called me at 19:05 to say she was still there. That was strange — my mom always picked her up before 17:30 during the week. She never failed to let us know if something came up. I ended up taking the child home with me,” she said.

Later that night, her niece visited Malueke’s home and noticed the gate was still locked, the windows and curtains open.

“I called my mom’s phone so many times, it just went to voicemail. WhatsApp messages had only one tick. That’s not like her at all.”

The next morning, Siyoni went to the Khayelitsha Training Centre and spoke to the security guard.

“He told me she left just before noon and was supposed to return to her office. He opened the building, and everything was still there: her lunch bag, house keys, and her handbag. I immediately went to the police station and opened a missing person case.”

Siyoni said her mother was last seen wearing a white bob weave, a black and white hat, black jeans, boots, and a grey jersey.

mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za  

Source link