Report missing persons immediately
People judge the South African Police Service (SAPS) based on how it protects women and children - the most vulnerable persons in society.
Following the discovery of the body of a young woman who had been missing for several weeks, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula urged the public to report missing people immediately.
The body of Karabo Mokoena, who was reported missing on 28 April this year, was found on Wednesday. A man has been arrested in the connection with the case.
Mbalula said his office received numerous posts on missing young women and children regularly.
“This is a matter of grave concern to me and requires immediate action and attention,” Mbalula said.
People judge the South African Police Service (SAPS) based on how it protects women and children – the most vulnerable persons in society.
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“SAPS’ Missing Person Bureau must enhance its efforts in finding missing persons. Most important, the SAPS must prevent an escalation of the problem,” Mbalula said.
The police minister said there was no waiting period for reporting a missing person.
https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/862593680498204673
“We have changed it to make our investigations into missing persons quicker to resolve,” he said
The public are advised to report to their nearest police station with the most recent photograph of the suspected missing person. An investigator will be allocated to your case and an investigation will immediately kick-start (once a case is reported).
“While acknowledging the usefulness of social media in spreading the message, I will stress the importance of reporting to your nearest police station,” the minister advised.
Mbalula added that police visibility would be increased in areas considered as no-go areas, so that people could move around freely and feel safer.
“Free movement is a constitutionally guaranteed right and our (police) responsibility is to protect it,” Mbalula said.
https://twitter.com/MbalulaFikile/status/862625250282000384
The devil is roaming around on this earth in all forms. #RIPKarabo 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ejJqnliHb7
— Sheldon Cameron (@sheldon_cameron) May 11, 2017
Social media users shared their views regarding the young woman under the hashtag #RIPKARABO and #RIPKaraboMokoena on both Facebook and Twitter.
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According to twitter posts, a man believed to be Mokoena’s father (Tshepo Mokoena) allegedly posted on his Facebook account that his daughter Karabo was killed by her boyfriend who also burnt her body.
According to the Citizen newspaper, a 27-year-old man was arrested in connection with Karabo’s death.
“The man, arrested at his home in Sandton on Thursday, will appear in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of murder,” CityBuzz has reported.
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