Off duty sergeant traces three missing children

As Limpopo law enforcers address the increasing cases of missing persons, a local cop found three children who had recently gone missing.

Sergeant Mahlatjie Nicodemus Letsoalo, attached to SAPS Tubatse Social Crime Prevention Unit, was off duty at 18:00 on October 6 when he received a call from a community member in Praktiseer (Dark City) alerting him of the disappearance of three children.

Without any hesitation, the courageous man in blue rushed to Tubatse Police Station and reported the matter before booking a state vehicle.

Police started a search in nearby areas.

Letsoalo succeeded in tracing the children at about 19:45 near a dumping site, three kilometers from the children’s home and safely handed them over to their guardian.

“A woman is a mother to one child, aged five, and was babysitting the other two children, aged six,” said Limpopo SAPS spokesman, Brigadier Motlafelo Mojapelo.

The provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, commended the off duty sergeant for his determination.

“Police stations are flooded with cases of missing persons and while some remain missing, some are found injured or dead. A bigger number is found safe and sound, and it later emerges that their disappearance is not crime related,” said Hadebe.

She added, “A lot of resources and time are wasted by police trying to find people who are not really missing, instead police could be investigating legitimate cases.

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

She concluded, “I also commend the work by 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”.

According to the SAPS, 130 cases of missing persons were registered from January until October 6 in Limpopo.