A second year UJ student had been missing for more than a week now, and his family are still no closer to finding him. 

12687957_927898337306181_4533466266368012386_n

A collage of images of missing UJ student Ronewa Mamburu. Photo: Facebook.

The mother of missing University of Johannesburg (UJ) student, Ronewa Mamburu says she is devastated by her 19-year-old son’s disappearance. Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela earlier today, Mkhumeleni Mamburu says ongoing rumours about the case are makes things worse.  “I can’t explain how I am feeling … I  didn’t even wake up today, something I am not used to”, says Mkhumeleni.

Mamburu, a second year mechanical engineering student, went missing on his way from  his home in Limpopo to UJ’s Robin Crest residence at the Doornfontein campus during the weekend of July 30. He was last seen near the Gautrain train station in Johannesburg soon after disembarking the bus he was travelling in.  According to reports given to the family, Mamburu apparently waited at the station for a friend while other passengers dispersed.

Mamburu’s uncle, Justice Mamburu, says the investigating officer has now received the relevant authorisation to access Mamburu’s phone and banking records to allow police to widen their investigation. Justice says he called Mamburu on July 30 and 31, but found that the missing man’s phone was off. “I called his mom to double-check if indeed he left home on Saturday.  They told me he did and they couldn’t get him on his phone,” said Justice.

The family say they also followed up information from one of Mamburu’s friends that the young man had travelled to Pretoria to visit a friend. According to his uncle, Mamburu never visited his girlfriend and the friend later confessed to lying.

The case is being handled by the Hillbrow Police Station and the investigation into the phone and bank records, according to Justice Mamburu, is expected to last about a week.