Although no cases of possible child abductions have yet been reported to the police, they did warn parents to be more vigiligent.
This came after several messages have been posted and are doing the rounds on social media.
EVANDER
Ms Neilia Nagel from Evander said her 15-year-old daughter was fortunate to escape from a group of men who tried to snatch her at the bus stop on Friday, 24 August.
The girl, a learner from Hoërskool Oosterland, daily walks to the bus stop about a block from her home in Evander.
“I usually walk with her and there are always two other learners from Oosterland and a few others from another school waiting for Megabus to take them to school in the morning. She usually waits about 10 minutes before the bus arrives,” explained Ms Nagel.
She was however not able to accompany her child that Friday morning, and there were no other children yet at the bus stop. “As she was waiting there alone on that Friday morning, five men in a gold-coloured vehicle pulled up.”
Ms Nagel’s daughter said the man in the front passenger seat opened his window and began to talk to her in English.
“A man in the back opened his door halfway and it looked as though he wanted to get out.”
The girl immediately felt uneasy about the situation and began to walk to the nearest house on the corner.
“The man in the back eventually slammed shut his door and they sped off.” The bus arrived two minutes later.
“Parents think their kids are safe when they walk in a group of two or three children, but things can change so suddenly. I am going to buy my daughter a whistle and I am telling everyone to be alert. I will make sure I walk her to the bus stop every time. We also now drive around the town often to see if we can spot the car,” said Ms Nagel.
SECUNDA
A married couple had a similar scare on Wednesday, 29 August.
The nanny who looks after their two children informed them that afternoon of an elderly white man in a white Renault Clio who tried to lure their nine-year-old son out of their yard. They live in the area opposite the Redige (Palms) Plaza.
The woman told the newspaper that her son was playing in the yard when the man in the Clio slowly drove past. This happened at about 3.30pm.
“He turned his vehicle around, drove back and stopped on the pavement. When my son did not go the man, the man climbed out of his car and walked up to our palisades and was calling my son from there. Fortunately my child did not want to speak to the stranger.”
By this time, the couple’s younger daughter also came to see what was going on, but was held back by the nanny. “The man tried to convince our nanny that he was a friend of the family and that he knows our kids, but the children were terrified.”
The nanny chased away the man and threatened to call the police.
The mother posted a warning on Facebook the next day.
Another person replied that she had also seen a man in a white Renault Clio in Azalea Street on Thursday, 30 August. According to this post, the man was accompanied by an elderly woman who was taking photographs of children playing in the neighbourhood.
When confronted, the woman apparently climbed back into the car and the couple drove off. This could not be confirmed.Another warning was circulated on Monday that a young boy was approached by an elderly Indian man at the bus stop by the mini Pick n Pay on Sunday, 2 September. Apparently the man asked the boy to perform sexual acts, but the child ran away. This man is described as elderly with two gold front teeth. He drives an old grey Volkswagen Jetta.
In another message that is circulating on social media, a woman said she and a friend took their children to the Duck Pond for a picnic when two woman approached them and began talking to them.
They also sat on their blanket and were commenting about their babies.
The women took a photo of the babies and walked away without another word.
TRICHARDT
In another post, a four-year-old boy was apparently nearly taken by a man and a woman in the parking lot of the Mediclinic Highveld.
Mr Willem Schoonbee, manager of Mediclinic Highveld, said they became aware of this message today, but that nobody had reported the alleged incident.
“It was not reported to our security gaurds or the police,” said Mr Schoonbee.
He urged anybody who has more information or facts regarding this incident, to contact him at 017 638 8202.
“The message was probably sent out with good intentions, but forwarding unconfirmed information regarding such an incident normally creates unnecessary panic among people,” said Mr Schoonbee. “Please stop forwarding these messages.”
In the message, the mother said a woman spoke to her while the man was getting the child’s attention with a toy while hiding between it.
The woman reacted quickly and the alleged suspects drove away in a blue station wagon.
