The disappearance of 19 year old Mishaadien Stemmet has left her family suspended in a state of anguish that deepens with each passing day. For her mother, Shamielah McConnie, the absence of answers has become a daily burden, a quiet torment that grows heavier as weeks turn into months. Since early May, her life has been defined by uncertainty, waiting and the persistent ache of not knowing where her child is or whether she is safe.
McConnie describes the experience as devastating, explaining that the lack of information has stripped her of any sense of closure or comfort. Every day without news, she says, feels like reopening a wound that never has the chance to heal. In communities like Mitchells Plain, where families are closely bound and loss is deeply felt, the disappearance of a young woman resonates far beyond her immediate household.
The Last Ordinary Moments Before She Disappeared
Mishaadien was last seen on 7 May 2025 when she left her aunt’s home in Old Woodlands, Mitchells Plain. What makes her disappearance particularly painful for her family is how unremarkable that day seemed at the time. According to her mother, nothing about her behaviour suggested she was planning to vanish or was in distress, making the sudden silence that followed all the more alarming.
Recalling the last moments before her daughter left the house, McConnie shared a memory that continues to haunt her, a reminder of her daughter’s personality and warmth.
“I asked my mother and sister-in-law and they said as per normal she got dressed and she went out.
“Then my brother’s daughter asked her, ‘where are you going, why are you looking so nice’. And Mishaadien said, ‘no, it’s only rich people that wear nice stuff and that can go out’. She likes to make jokes like that.”
A Mothers Memories And Lingering Guilt
Those light hearted words now echo painfully for a mother who wonders if there was something she missed, a sign she failed to see. McConnie says she often replays that day in her mind, questioning whether a different conversation or a delayed departure might have changed what followed. Like many parents of missing children, she carries a quiet guilt that accompanies her grief, even though there is no evidence she could have prevented what happened.
Friends and relatives have tried to comfort her, reminding her that Mishaadien left the house as she always did, without fear or hesitation. Still, the normality of that final moment makes the absence harder to accept. There was no argument, no warning and no farewell, only an ordinary goodbye that became permanent.
Police Efforts Yield No Breakthrough
In the months since the disappearance, police investigations have produced little progress. McConnie says detectives have maintained contact with her sister in law, who formally opened the missing person case. Despite this communication, no positive leads have emerged that could explain where Mishaadien went or who she may have been with.
The family briefly held onto hope when officers acted on a tip suggesting Mishaadien had been seen in Heinz Park. According to McConnie, the police even collected clothing to allow sniffer dogs to assist in the search, but the operation yielded nothing, leaving the family once again with unanswered questions.
A Community Searching For Hope
The lack of concrete information has not only affected the family but has also unsettled the broader community. In areas like Mitchells Plain, where young women face real dangers, each unresolved disappearance heightens collective anxiety. Residents continue to speak about Mishaadien, sharing her story in the hope that someone, somewhere, might come forward with information.
For McConnie, that hope is all she has left. She says she wakes up each day praying for a phone call, a sighting or any piece of news that could bring clarity. Until then, she remains a mother in waiting, clinging to memories of her daughter’s humour and kindness, and holding onto the belief that silence will eventually give way to answers.
Anyone who may have information that could assist in locating Mishaadien is urged to contact Detective Sergeant Ivan Ryneveld on 083 648 6239 or reach Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
