A man who is well-known in Krugersdorp has been missing for more than three months, and his mother is extremely worried about him.

Suzette van Zyl said her son Johannes Lodewikus van Zyl, or Vicky as most people know him, has been missing since June. At first the family chose to wait before reporting him missing because it had happened once before.

We started looking for him ourselves but about three weeks ago I decided it was time to report him as missing,” she said.

At first Suzette did not want to post about his disappearance on social media because on previous occasions the community responded with ugly comments about her being an incompetent mother. She explained that Vicky is a 27-year-old man who makes his own decisions and prefers to be on his own.

He would come home twice a day to get a plate of food and then he would leave again,” she said.

Vicky was diagnosed with schizophrenia about three years ago. Suzette has tried to get Vicky some medical help and into a place of safety, but all her pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

At the moment Vicky is not on medication. He talks to himself and prefers to live on the streets. Vicky has brown eyes and brown hair, he weighs 60kg and is 1,67m tall.

He was last seen on 13 June 2020 and was wearing black tracksuit pants, a black hoodie and brown takkies. He has a scar from a cleft lip and has two tattoos – a cross on his shoulder and a star on his hip. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Krugersdorp Police on 011 951 1151 or 011 951 1152.

Alternatively contact the Pink Ladies on 072 214 7439 and 083 378 4882, or contact his mother Suzette on 071 596 0183. Suzette explained that the last time Vicky went missing they found him in Roodepoort. They have checked all the places he usually goes but have not found him, and she is desperate to find her son.

The community of Krugersdorp has always helped him so much,” she said. She said people should not be scared when they see him talking to himself and sometimes screaming, because he won’t hurt anyone.