Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
‘Where there’s hope, there’s life’
MISSING persons organisations and crime policing structures are hoping for a breakthrough in the two-year mystery of 12-year-old Lunamandla Sithonga, who vanished after being dropped off at school in Eastridge, Mitchells Plain.
Lunamandla was in her Eastville Primary School tracksuit on July 9, 2020, the day she went missing.
She had been dropped off at the school at 8.40am by her driver. The Western Cape Missing Persons Unit confirmed the driver has since died.
After Lunamandla’s disappearance, claims were made that her parents were contacted by kidnappers demanding a ransom for her safe return, but this was never be verified.
Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk said there was no new information in the case.
“She is still missing and the investigation/search continues.”
The founder of the Western Cape Missing Persons Unit, Candice van der Rheede, said the area where the child vanished was combed by search teams including hers, and two witnesses claimed the girl had been seen walking in the direction of the Town Centre Mall.
She added that the driver’s whereabouts and route had been extensively researched for investigation purposes.
“There was a tracker on his van,
police followed up where he was at certain times, the tracker showed that he dropped her off at school and that he went to another school after that.
“When we were part of that search, we met two girls who said they saw her walking over towards the Town Centre.
“They were adamant it was her, because she asked for directions as they came out of a school in the area.”
Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum Cluster chairperson, Fransina Lukas said they were still hopeful and were appealing for people to continue to look for the child.
“We are concerned that this child has still not been found,” she said.
“We still implore our communities to look out for this child. Anyone with information must contact the investigating officer. We also wish to sympathise with the parents and to tell them not to lose hope.
“Because where there is hope, there is life. We hope that a breakthrough will come and that the child will be reunited with her family.”
Numerous attempts were made to reach the girl’s family but they did not respond.