Key Takeaways:
- A 5-year-old girl, Yowa Wamuhle Mkhaliphi, was taken to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by her father, Yannick Lukusa Ilunga, without her mother’s consent or knowledge.
- The child does not have a passport, and her birth certificate is held by her mother, Noluthando Mkhaliphi.
- The mother is battling to understand how the child was able to leave the country without documentation and believes that the father may have forged documents to skip the country.
- The mother has opened a case at the Ivory Park police station and has approached the international relations department and the DRC embassy in Pretoria for assistance.
- The father’s family seems to be supporting the abduction of the child, and the mother is demanding that her child be brought back to South Africa and the father be arrested.
Introduction to the Case
A Gauteng mother, Noluthando Mkhaliphi, is shocked and in disbelief after learning that her 5-year-old daughter, Yowa Wamuhle Mkhaliphi, is allegedly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the father, Yannick Lukusa Ilunga, took her there without her consent or knowledge. Yowa was supposed to start grade R on Wednesday, but instead, she is now in a foreign country with her father, who has a history of making threats to keep the child away from her mother.
The Circumstances of the Abduction
Mkhaliphi said that Yowa went to her father in Randburg on December 17 for the holidays, as per their agreement since they broke up after Yowa turned one. However, when Mkhaliphi tried to reach out to Ilunga on December 31 to ask when he would bring the child back, she couldn’t reach him. It wasn’t until January 5 that Ilunga sent her a text message saying that he was back home in the DRC and that he would bring Yowa back after six months. Mkhaliphi is struggling to understand how Ilunga managed to leave the country with their child, given that Yowa does not have a passport and her birth certificate is held by her mother.
The Mother’s Efforts to Locate Her Child
Mkhaliphi has been trying to locate her child and has been in contact with Ilunga’s family, who seem to be supporting the abduction. She has also approached the international relations department for assistance, but they told her that it was not a diplomatic matter and that she should deal with law officials and the department of justice. Mkhaliphi has opened a case at the Ivory Park police station and has also gone to the DRC embassy in Pretoria to ask for help with tracking down Ilunga and having her child brought back. She is expecting to get feedback soon and is demanding that her child be brought back to South Africa and the father be arrested.
The Father’s History and Motivations
Mkhaliphi believes that Ilunga may have forged documents to skip the country, given that Yowa does not have a passport and her birth certificate is held by her mother. She also thinks that Ilunga’s family may be involved in the abduction, as they seem to be supporting him. Ilunga has a history of making threats to keep the child away from her mother, and Mkhaliphi is worried that he may try to take Yowa to Europe, as he has mentioned in the past. Mkhaliphi last spoke to her daughter on Saturday evening and could see that she was not okay and appeared to be in fear.
The Investigation and Next Steps
The police are investigating the case, and Mkhaliphi is working with them to try to locate her child and bring her back to South Africa. She is also seeking assistance from the DRC embassy and the international relations department, although they have told her that it is not a diplomatic matter. Mkhaliphi is determined to do everything in her power to bring her child home and is demanding that Ilunga be arrested and held accountable for his actions. The case highlights the challenges of international child abduction and the need for cooperation between countries to prevent such cases from happening.