Latest news with #MissingChildrenSA
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Simple, everyday safety for kids and parents
Maintaining open communication, establishing trust-based safety protocols, and continuously adapting to new threats posed by technology are key to keep your children safe. Here are some tips to help keep your children safe while they are out and about, as well as tips to help you navigate digital safety: For children: Walk in groups: Always walk to and from school with friends. Stick to familiar, populated routes and avoid shortcuts through alleys, open fields, or vacant lots. Avoid distractions: Keep mobile devices and tablets out of sight to avoid attracting attention. Secure school pickups: Children should wait inside school grounds for their lift and never leave with anyone who hasn't been pre-approved. Stranger danger rules: Reinforce that children should never accept rides from strangers—even if the stranger claims there's an emergency involving a parent. Use a family password: Establish a security word only known to you and your child. If someone can't repeat it, the child must seek help immediately. Responding to threats: If someone tries to grab them, teach them to scream, kick, and resist loudly to draw attention and attempt to escape. Observation skills: If they witness something suspicious, train them to notice the suspect's appearance, vehicle, and any details that could assist authorities later. Emergency awareness: Children should memorise their full name, home address, and key contact numbers. Practice dialing 10111 using a toy phone. For older children, preload emergency numbers or install a safety app like Namola or Life360 . Parental guidance for digital safety: Limit oversharing: Avoid posting children's personal details, locations, or daily routines online. Educate on fake profiles: Teach children how criminals use false identities to build trust online before attempting to lure them. Check-ins, not spying: Have regular, open conversations about their social media usage. Where necessary, review their apps and messages to ensure safety boundaries are respected. If your child ever goes missing or you witness suspicious activity, report it immediately to SAPS at 10111 or contact a child protection organisation like Missing Children SA. Find out more from Fidelity Services Group.
eNCA
30-04-2025
- eNCA
Community searches for 3-year-old Mojalefa
JOHANNESBURG - A Roodepoort community is desperately searching for missing toddler Mojalefa Savhuli. The three-year-old went missing on Freedom day, after leaving his home through an unlocked gate. It's been three long days since the little boy disappeared, leaving the family in despair. Missing Children SA urges communities to always act swiftly and responsibly whenever a child goes missing.
IOL News
24-04-2025
- IOL News
Mother's 36-year search for kidnapped twin daughter continues
After 36 years of searching for her kidnapped daughter, Junice Adams continues to hold onto hope. Image: Facebook As the Easter weekend has passed, the 75-year-old mother of Veronique Adams continues to hold onto hope of finding her kidnapped twin daughter who was taken during the Easter period in 1989 by her nanny in Eldorado Park, Gauteng. Junice Adams together with her daughter, Veronisha, now 37, who is Veronique's twin, continues the nation-wide search for her long lost daughter, even utilising the help of local missing persons organisations such as Track n Trace and Missing Children SA. It has been 36 years since Veronique was snatched by her nanny, only identified as Beauty Mkwanazi, on March 6, 1989, while Adams was at work. The twins were 11 months old at the time and their sister, five, and was in the woman's care. The alarm was raised by Adams' brother, who had visited the residence, which he did daily, and found that Veronique was missing. The search for the little baby then begun. Adams said school children had seen the woman walking with the baby but that she had been told by police to wait 24 hours before a missing persons case could be registered. She explained that the woman had claimed she lived in Durban or Pietermaritzburg and was in the process of providing her identity. A case of kidnapping had been registered with police with two dockets opened and several DNA tests done, but to date, there has been no sign of what happened to Veronique. In 2021, Veronisha took a leap of faith and asked Missing Children SA to use her face and photograph to showcase how Veronique would look at age 33. She had previously done so when she was 24 years old. Today, the same poster continues to be circulated by the organisation and Veronisha. Adams told the Cape Argus on Tuesday that they had travelled across the country to find her child. 'The police were here about three years ago and said they would be taking my DNA and that of my daughters but we never heard from them again. 'I also inquired if there is a cold case team and was told I must stop watching these things on television and since then I have never bothered with the police again. 'The one detective received information from Durban, Chatsworth, a man there said she worked for him and he had a photograph of her. 'One Friday when he came home from the mosque, his house was ransacked. 'He had a photograph of her and that was when the docket disappeared. 'Another family from Lenasia South said she worked for them and that she also gave the story about her identification, that she will go home and fetch it. 'That photograph could never be put out publicly and to me it seemed something was wrong. 'I even went to Botswana. A lady that worked at the holiday inn said they were schooling with a girl that looked like Veronique. 'We went and blood tests for DNA were taken and after a couple of weeks, I waited for the results. After 36 years of searching for her kidnapped daughter, Junice Adams continues to hold onto hope. Image: Facebook 'I kept calling and this officer was stationed in Soweto and I was told he was not in. 'A family friend went to inquire and found that a week after we came from Botswana, the police officer died in a car crash which made me think that something is wrong.' Adams said she will never give up her quest to find her child. 'I am 75-years-old now and I will do anything to find my daughter.' Veronisha said they had received information about women fitting her description but that it was not positive. 'We have had a few leads due to the posters and articles shared on social media but nothing solid,' she said. 'People have shared photographs of people they thought looked like my sister or a lookalike but not solid leads.' Bianca van Aswegen of Missing Children SA said they would continue to share information about such cases. 'There are many cold cases of children that are still missing, some even dating back as far as the 1980's, but as an organisation we never give up on any of our cases, and make sure everything possible is being done to reunite a family or give the family the closure they so desperately need.' Chaz Thomas of Track n Trace Missing Persons confirmed they also assisted the family and that they had received information about five potential women who fitted the physical description of Veronique but that DNA testing was yet to be conducted. After 36 years of searching for her kidnapped daughter, Junice Adams continues to hold onto hope. With the help of local organisations, she and her daughter Veronisha are determined to uncover the truth behind Veronique's disappearance during Easter 1989. Image: Missing Children SA If you have information about Veronique, please contact the numbers on posters provided. Cape Argus
