Social media reunites lost grade 1 with her parents
It is believed the grade 1 girl tried walking home by following the route her school taxi takes
A Laerskool Kreft grade 1 pupil was miraculously reunited with her parents at Norkem Park Police Station on Thursday evening after she attempted to walk home from school and got lost.
The little seven-year-old girl was brought to Riebeeck Village in Van Riebeeck Park from Birchleigh Railway Station by an unknown woman who left her with the security guards at the boom gate on Soutpansberg Drive, said the Village Home Owners Association’s chairman, Gary Meinzies.
Meinzies said he had been called by the guards at around 4.45pm and informed that a girl wearing a Laerskool Kreft uniform was looking for her parents and only knew what her name was.
“The guards drove her around the streets in Riebeeck Village in the hope she would recognise her home but she did not. There was nothing in her bag but a lunch tin and jersey,” explained Meinzies.
It is unknown how the girl arrived at the train station or where she stays, as her father refused to speak to EXPRESS but said he was happy to have his daughter safe.
Meinzies applauded the power of social media and the effectiveness to locate the girl’s parents.
“I posted on whatsapp groups, including the CPF and other community forums, and the word spread. Eventually a staff member from Kreft saw the message and was able to go to the school and check their files for the parents’ contact details,” he said.
He said the girl’s parents were contacted at about 7.05pm to go and pick her up from Norkem Park Police Station.
Laerskool Kreft principal, Johan Smuts, said he had also received information on social media about the missing girl. “Fortunately, because of social media, we were able to get the message and open the school to get the parents’ contact details,” he said.
Smuts said the girl apparently left the other group of learners who were waiting at Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld High School for transport after school and decided to try walking home, following the route the taxi takes.
“Her father it was new taxi transport they were using this year and he did not know why she decided to walk home,” Smuts added.
This is her second year attending Kreft and Smuts said she had always used school transport.
Capt Lesibana Molokomme, Norkem Park SAPS spokesman, said he was not aware of the incident.
