Little Inathi Mhlahlo disappeared on her way to buy sweets and crisps from her local shop in Mdantsane, South Africa.
But her family became concerned when she failed to return – with her devastated mum not even learning her little girl was missing until she returned from work Monday evening.
The girl’s aunt, Paphama said the family “began to panic and did not know what to do”.
Friends and neighbors embarked on a frantic search, which was only amplified after the owner of the local shop said he had not seen the girl at all.
Five hours after she initially went missing the family received a call to say she had been found.
Inathi’s heartbroken mum, Thandiwe said: “When I got the call, I knew something had happened.
“They could not tell me what happened, but I knew my child was dead.”
LIFE CUT SHORT
The child’s body was found stripped of underwear with a stab wound to her neck.
She was rushed to hospital but was tragically pronounced dead on arrival, with a grief-stricken family member describing how they called her name in the vain hope she would wake up.
