A Nelson Mandela Bay family has been left devastated after the tragic discovery of 13-year-old Philela Bululu’s body, a week after he vanished on his way to school. What began as an ordinary Monday morning for his mother, Nandipha Rayi, turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.
Rayi, 38, said she had no idea that while she was searching tirelessly for her son, his lifeless body was already lying in an open field in Kwazakhele. Dressed only in his school shirt and underwear, Philela’s body was discovered in a badly decomposed state, leaving his grieving mother with an image she says she will never forget.
Speaking from her home in Mavavana Street, Rayi described the heartbreaking moment she saw her son. “I am devastated. My mind went blank when I saw his body,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “I am a broken mother.”
According to police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetgé, Philela was reported missing on Monday last week after failing to return home from Kayser Ngxwana Primary School. Shockingly, the school later confirmed that he had never arrived that morning. His body was discovered a week later in an open field along Mahambehlala Street.
Beetgé confirmed that there were no visible injuries on the boy’s body, and an inquest docket has been opened while the post-mortem determines the cause of death.
For Rayi, the days following his disappearance were filled with fear and confusion. She left for work early that morning, believing her children would soon follow their normal routine and head to school. Her husband, returning from a night shift, went to the gym before coming home to rest. It was only when schoolchildren knocked on their door asking why Philela was absent that the family realised something was terribly wrong.
Her husband immediately went to the school, where teachers confirmed he had not arrived. As panic gripped the family, they began searching for clues. They attempted to call his phone, which was answered by an unknown person who remained silent. At work, Rayi desperately refreshed Facebook, hoping the “online” status she saw meant her son was still nearby.
Her other child revealed that he and Philela had walked part of the way to school together that morning until Philela said he wanted to check on a friend. But the friend had not seen him that day.
The family’s search intensified. They went door to door, asked neighbours, followed community tips, and even investigated a voice note from someone claiming to have dreamt of the boy running between neighbourhoods. Community members joined the search, checking shacks, open land, and nearby farms.
But it was only on Tuesday evening that they received a message saying a body had been found near the power station. When they arrived, their worst fears were confirmed.
Rayi said his trousers were found next to him, his flip-flops were missing, and the lunchbox he prepared — containing the egg sandwich he made himself — was still on the kitchen counter. “He didn’t like the sour milk at school, so he made his own sandwich,” she said softly.
Philela had recently turned 13 and was excited to start high school next year. He dreamed of becoming an ambulance driver because he wanted to help people. He loved singing, dancing, and filling their home with noise and laughter.
Now, instead of preparing for Christmas or high school, his family is preparing for a funeral. The investigation continues as the family pleads for answers.
“I still cannot process what happened,” Rayi said. “My child was full of life, and now he is gone.”
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