The disappearance of two learners and a young man on the West Rand has reminded communities never to let their guard down.
There are many children, adults and even elderly people who disappear and sometimes never return. Experts say unknown factors and circumstances might be at play.
Dawn Gounden, founder of Renegade NPO, an organisation operating in South Africa that tracks and searches for missing persons, said sometimes people are victims of circumstance.
In an exclusive interview with the Herald, Gounden said when people disappear it is not always by choice. Often it’s a situation they were left in that had opened them up to become targets for crimes such as human trafficking.
Children who are much younger sometimes are neglected. They play by themselves without any adult supervision which might open doors for predators.”
Gounden said while many may think that human trafficking is one of the biggest reasons for people going missing, she cited the issue to unemployment, especially with the effects of Covid-19 seen in the last two years, causing people to become desperate.
They’ve also learnt that adults – men and women – go missing as a result of substance abuse or even gambling. Sometimes people are targeted for their vehicles.
She advised those whose loved ones have gone missing to open a missing persons case without delay as there’s no waiting period to report such a case. It is important to submit a clear unedited photo of the missing person to be circulated.
She urged the family members to be honest and not withhold information, especially when someone is a drug user.
When you report a missing person to the police you need to complete and sign a SAPS 55(A) form. Once you get that report done, the police officer on duty will provide you with a circulation number and later they’ll send you an SMS with the case number.”
However, Gounden said they don’t get involved in domestic issues such as custodianship disputes when one parent had kidnapped their own child(ren).
“Another challenge is elderly people who may have some health issues. They shouldn’t be allowed to drive themselves as they could land themselves in danger.”
Most importantly she advised the families of the missing person to look everywhere with an open mind – even at hospitals and mortuaries, although not even the thought would be easy.
“Sometimes an accident happens when a person travels in a taxi, especially if that person is from another province. Some of the missing people had even been found in prison, and others were victims of hit and runs,” Gounden said.
Within a month, three people from Rand West were reported missing. Laerskool Rapportryer learner Oratile Kgaswane, 13, was last seen on April 27; Calvin Davids, 31, was last seen on Tuesday May 3; and 16-year-old Paballo Matsitse, a Grade 11 learner at Phahama Secondary was last seen on Tuesday May 17. She has since been found.
Also read:
• UPDATE: Family still looking for their son after two weeks
• MISSING Boy (13): Where’s my son?
