Luyanda Lerato Radebe (10) has been found alive and apparently unharmed.
The child, whose parents live in Malvern, went missing on December 19 last year.
Her mother said she had never stopped believing her daughter would be found. The EXPRESS has published several articles about Luyanda’s disappearance in recent weeks.
She was last seen playing outside her home on Perssimon Street. “I was pleasantly surprised, I doubted she would be found alive. The world we live in has not been kind to women and children,” said Mr Simon Radebe, Luyanda’s father.
Luyanda’s parents explained how they found out about her whereabouts. “We saw her in one of the daily newspapers. Child Welfare in Tembisa was looking for her parents and we immediately went to the police station to alert the police. We headed straight there,” said Mr Radebe.
He said the Tembisa Welfare had already tried other mediums, such as local radio stations, in an attempt to locate anyone who knew Luyanda, before seeking help from the daily newspaper.
“They told me Luyanda was found in a park in Sangweni, Tembisa. They found her in school uniform and she could not tell say how she reached the park. It was as if she had lost her mind,” said Mr Radebe.
Her mother, Ms Thembelihle Khanyi, said she was thankful because worse things could have happened. “She was happy to see us, she shed a few tears. We asked her if she wanted to come home with us and she agreed. It was evident she had missed us,” said Ms Khanyi.
Due to the matter being before a court, Luyanda’s parents have to wait a bit longer before she can come home. “The court will give us direction with regards to having her back with us. The social workers said if it were up to them, Luyanda would already be at home with us,” said Ms Khanyi.
According to the parents, the social workers said a child, who was not abused or hurt, is allowed to return home. “After the court process, we look forward to having her at home again. We would like to thank all the people and organisations that helped us and shared our pain. It is important for communities to pull together. I would like to thank the members of my church for their prayers and my brothers, who would not rest,” said Ms Khanyi. Mr Radebe was also thankful. “I am grateful to my co-workers, the people in the house and members of our family for the support they gave us,” said Mr Radebe.
Constable Mpho Mashakane, of the Cleveland SAPS, said they are happy Luyanda was found. “She was found on February 7 after her mother saw her photo in the newspaper. After she alerted the police, members headed there immediately. It is believed she had been there for about two weeks,” said Const Mashakane.
