Missing mother Luschka Taljaard and son likely to have disappeared willingly

Security footage seems to show the missing Mpumalanga’s mother and her four-year-old son abandoning their car and choosing to leave the area.

On Friday, police and the Hendrina community launched a widespread search for Luschka Taljaard and her four-year-old son Daniel.

Hendrina’s mother and son go missing

The 27-year-old mother was last seen by Luschka’s husband, Coetzee, at 5am on Thursday morning when he left their house for work. 

Coetzee told The Citizen she was later seen at the Hendrina Nursing Home when visiting a person called “Aunt Lynette”.

Car abandoned and phones switched off

Luschka’s silver VW Polo was later found abandoned at the entrance to the nearby Kwazamokuhle township. A broken necklace was also reportedly seen inside the vehicle.

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Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said both of Luschka’s phones were switched off.

Security footage

There were fears that the mother and child had been kidnapped, however, footage obtained by a security company shows Luschka leaving the car willingly with her son.

Speaking to the Middleburg Observer, Morney Vos from Specialised Security Services said the footage shows Luschka getting out of her VW Polo and climbing into a silver double cab bakkie with her son and another driver.

Vos added that they are still searching for the mother and son.

“All of our teams are out in full force trying to locate Luschka,” he said.

It is unclear why Luschka left without telling anyone.  

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Vos urged Luschka, or anyone who is aware of their whereabouts, to contact him or Mike Bolhuis to confirm her and Daniel’s safety.

“We will handle all information confidentially and won’t disclose their whereabouts as long as we can confirm that Luschka and Daniel are safe.”

Investigator Morney Vos can be contacted on 066 212 5193 or alternatively Mike Bolhuis can be contacted on 082 447 6116.

Mohlala also said that the police’s investigating officer, Detective Warrant Officer Aron Magagula, can be contacted on 082 303 9899. Alternatively, members of the public can call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or send information via MySAPS App.