Cape Town - As the festive holiday season comes to an end, police, together with missing persons organisations and social workers, have their hands full after a total of 632 children were reported missing at the end of 2024.
This while 365 children were separated from their parents on Cape Town’s beaches and later reunited, with 20 cases handed over to social services.
The Cape Argus can shockingly reveal that for the period of 2024, nationally, 632 children were reported missing to police, while experts warn of the risks to social media.
National police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said a total of 8 743 children were reported missing to police across the country in the past ten years.
Of those who never made it back home in 2024, was 6-year-old Joshlin Smith of Saldanha Bay. Joshlin’s mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn, are facing charges relating to her disappearance and kidnapping.
The matter is expected to be heard in the Western Cape High Court on January 31 for pre-trial proceedings.
Mathe said many cases could be linked to gender-based violence in the home and said they had reached a success in convicting 3 826 perpetrators of the crime.
“(A total of) 632 children were reported missing to the SAPS for investigation for the past year,” she said “(A total of) 8 743 children were reported missing to the SAPS for investigation during the past 10 years.”
Missing persons organisations have yet to locate 14-year-old girl, Ngozichukwu Kegomoditswe Nakedi, who was last seen by her boyfriend on December 13 just after 10pm in Stanley Street, Noordhoek, Bloemfontein.
Other cases include Sarah Beredine Johannes, 14, who disappeared on December 30 in Strand; Reuben-Lee Braaf, 14, who went missing on November 25 in Lost City, Tafelsig; and Trish Chivande Hlabano, 13, who was last seen December 25 in Tembisa.
Mayco member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross, said their teams also had their hands full along beaches after close to 370 children went missing to eventually be reunited with their parents.
“A total of 109 516 children were tagged as part of the Identikidz project between the launch date of December 13, 2024, and January 5, 2025.
“During this period, 365 children were separated from their caregivers.
“Staff were able to successfully reunite 345 children, while 20 were handed over to Provincial Department of Social Development officials when their caregivers hadn’t been tracked down by nightfall.”
Bianca van Aswegen, national co-ordinator for Missing Children SA and criminologist who has been spear-heading many cases nationally, said children and parents had to be alert when sharing personal information on social media, which contributed to vulnerability for missing cases and kidnappings.
“School holiday is almost coming to an end, but the danger to our children does not end,” she said.
“With the new school year almost starting, child safety should not be neglected.
“We urge parents and guardians to please prioritise your children’s safety especially when it comes to social media.
“We do understand that parents want to brag about their children’s first school day, but please do so with caution when posting photographs and information on social media.
“We would also like to reiterate the fact that people still believe they have to wait 24 hours before reporting a child or person as missing, that does not exist.
“It needs to be reported immediately to your nearest police station and to us at Missing Children SA so that action can be taken.”
Siya Monakali, spokesperson of Ilitha Labantu, an organisation that advocates for the rights of women and children, said they were concerned with the rate of missing children in the country and called for vigilance amongst caregivers.
“While the festive period may have seen an uptick in cases, this issue is pervasive throughout the year, with children going missing in both urban and rural areas.
“The causes vary, but the result is always the same: a child separated from their family, creating lasting trauma for both the child and their loved ones.
“As the school year begins and families transition from the holiday season, it is crucial for parents, caregivers, and communities to stay vigilant.
“Children are particularly vulnerable in crowded or unfamiliar spaces.
“We urge parents to maintain constant supervision of their children and to educate them on safety practices.
Mike Bolhuis of Specialised Security Services said while social media played a positive role in finding missing children and young adults, it also created vulnerability.
“Online predators often use these platforms to identify and groom vulnerable children, exploiting their emotional states and luring them into dangerous situations.
“Runaways may use social media to seek validation or support from strangers, unknowingly placing themselves in harm’s way.
“Platforms often provide a false sense of anonymity and security, enabling harmful interactions that can escalate the situation.
“Negative comments on social media posts about a missing minor can have several detrimental effects, impacting both the search efforts and the emotional well-being of the family and community involved.”