Limpopo Provincial Commissioner applauds off duty police officer for speedy recovery of three missing children and warns parents against child neglect

As the Province grabbles with the increasing number of persons who are reported missing, the Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended an duty Police Sergeant for his determination which resulted in the recovery of three children aged between 05 and 06 after they went missing from their home yesterday, Thursday 06 October 2022 in Darkcity, Praktiseer village in the Tubatse policing area outside Burgersfort.

Sergeant Mahlatjie Nicodemus Letsoalo attached to SAPS Tubatse Social Crime Prevention Unit was off duty when at about 18:00, he received a call from one of the community members alerting him about the disappearance of three children. Without any hesitation, the courageous Police Officer rushed to the Police Station and reported the matter before booking a state vehicle.

Police started a search in nearby areas. Sergeant Letsoalo succeeded in tracing the children at about 19:45 near a dumping site 3 kilometers from the children’s home and safely handed them over to their guardians. The woman is a mother to one child aged 05 and was babysitting the other two children.

“The selfless act of this member is highly commendable which resulted in the recovery of the missing children who must have been very terrified. We urge parents to be vigilant in caring for their children and always know their whereabouts to avoid these types of incidents,” said Lieutenant General Hadebe.

“The Police Stations are flooded with cases of missing persons and while some remain missing, some are found injured or dead, and a bigger number is found safe and sound, which is later emerging that their disappearance was voluntary. In total 130 cases were registered from January 2022 until today a lot of resources and time get wasted by police trying to find people who are not really missing, instead, Police could be investigating legitimate cases,” continued Lieutenant General Hadebe.

One of the most serious cases reported this year was of two women who went missing in Burgersfort and Tubatse and they were later found murdered.

“I also commend the work of members of Joint Operations teams. Each case is treated with priority and there is no waiting period we also understand that the impact of missing persons can be life-changing for families and communities,” concluded Lieutenant General Hadebe.