Durban — Community members of uMkhomazi on the south coast of Durban are still in shock after two-year-old Isiphile Mnyangula disappeared at around 4pm on Tuesday.
It is reported that the toddler was last seen playing with her friends wearing a pink tracksuit and no shoes.
Dawn Gouden from Renegades Search and Rescue said that the Renegades team and SAPS Search and Rescue K9 Unit have been deployed to assist in locating Isiphile, utilising their specialised training.
She said that her disappearance has shocked the community, with concerns growing. She was last seen in the company of her friends before going missing. The uMkhomazi Detective Unit has launched a search operation, collaborating with the SAPS Search and Rescue K9 Unit and Renegades Search & Rescue members to locate the missing child.
“The detectives have collaborated with other law enforcement authorities and Renegades Search and Rescue to coordinate search efforts, circulation of her photographs and information, pooling resources and expertise to cover a broader area and increase the chances of finding Isiphile,” she said.
Gounden, who is also the family representative, said the disappearance of Isiphile has left the community reeling with shock and worry.
The disappearance of children appears to be on the rise in southern parts of the province as the Daily News also reported about a six-year-old girl who went missing in Isipingo last week.
Gounden said that the child’s vanishing has sparked a community-wide search effort in the surrounding bushes and areas.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said that a missing persons docket has been opened for investigation at uMkhomazi SAPS and the docket was transferred to the Umlazi Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for further investigation.
Constable Ngcobo also said that anyone with further information is urged to contact uMkhomazi police on 039 973 6108 or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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Daily News