Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed the discovery of a 21-year-old man's body after a five-day search-and-rescue mission near Olifantsvlei in south Gauteng.

Although the identity of the man hasn’t been confirmed, authorities had been searching for two young people after they were swept away by water during a cleansing ceremony on the riverbanks on Saturday (18/11).

EMS personnel retrieved the body of 18-year-old Ayaphiwe Ndothi on Wednesday (23/11). Her uncle previously confirmed her identity and said the family cannot believe she is gone. “We are 100% sure it is our Ayaphiwe, a DNA test is not necessary,” he said.

“We are disappointed as a family because we had hope she would be found. It is very painful to us that we have lost her, we weren’t anticipating losing her at such an early age. She still had so much to live for and achieve. We could see she had a bright future ahead of her,” the uncle said of the Grade 12 pupil.

OFM News/Christine/Dane