Daveyton: Pensioner with dementia missing since Christmas Eve

The family of Richard Jabulani Faku of Daveyton is appealing to the public to help them locate him after he went missing on Christmas Eve.

According to his daughter, Thembisile Faku, her father, who has dementia, left home at about 16:00, saying he was going to his twin sister, who lives a few streets away.

Thembisile, who lives with her father and two children, said she got home that afternoon, and her father was nowhere to be found.

“My children said he told them he wanted to go to his sister, so they didn’t have a problem because he often visits her.

“I then opened a case at the Daveyton SAPS and started circulating his photo on social media,” she explained.

The 74-year-old was wearing a white shirt with multi-coloured stripes, white shorts, and brown sandals when he left home.

According to Thembisile, she was notified by the Barcelona community on December 28 that her father was seen in the area and picked up by the Etwatwa police.

“When I arrived at the police station, to my shock, my father was not there. They told me he was released because he was drunk.

“This puzzled me because my father doesn’t drink. Nothing made sense,” the daughter said.

Thembisile felt let down by the police.

“Considering his mental state, they shouldn’t have released him.

“I have escalated the matter to the provincial police so that they can take further steps against the police officers for negligence,” said Thembisile, adding that her father’s disappearance has affected her negatively.

“I’m not coping. I haven’t been to work since my father disappeared.

“My children also feel guilty, thinking that if they had never allowed him to leave the house, he would still be with us,” she said.

A missing persons case was opened at the Daveyton Police Station.

Anyone with information about Richard Faku’s whereabouts should contact the family on 076 411 6802 or email fakuthembi@gmail.com.

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