MBOMBELA – After sightings of Samantha and Anthony were reported in Durban, Mbombela and Johannesburg, their disappearance has been the topic of much speculation. Family members deny allegations of any involvement with drugs.
Anthony was the first of the two to be reported missing on Monday. His mother, Ms Helen Beyleveldt, elaborates, “We saw him on Friday afternoon, but after nobody saw him on either Saturday or Sunday, my daughter-in-law went to the police to report him as missing. We then went to Samantha’s parents to inform them of the situation and to check up on her whereabouts and safety. Ms Stella Neil, her mother, said that she had seen Samantha on Monday afternoon. She was apparently packing some items in a bag when they last saw her.”
A second missing-person’s case, that of Samantha, was reported to the Mbombela SAPS on Wednesday. Stella remembers seeing her on Monday. Samantha recently moved into a flat on the Neil household’s yard after living on her own for a while. “Although she does her own thing, she has the habit of popping in once a day or so,” Stella explains. After she didn’t see her daughter on Tuesday, she approached the police.
An online campaign was launched and advertised on the Nelspruit Concerned Citizens’ Facebook group, on which it was averred that the two may have left town together.
Community members quickly came forward with bits of information on recent whereabouts of Samantha and Anthony. “Be on the lookout for a red Volkswagen with registration number FLG282MP,” group administration announced.
This red Volkswagen was found in Mbombela’s CBD on Wednesday at 07:00, Samantha’s boyfriend, Mr Werner Janse van Vuuren, confirmed. Ms Melanie Barnard shed light on the abandoned vehicle by saying that she saw Samantha changing outfits in the car. She and Anthony then walked from Bester Street in the direction of the city’s train tracks. According to her cousin, Mr Matthew Hope, they were also spotted at Johannesburg Park’s train station. “This was on Wednesday at 17:30,” Mr Juandré Rautenbach, a friend of the Neil family, confirmed.
More recent evidence confirms that Samantha and Anthony have been travelling together since Monday. “CCTV footage was obtained depicting both missing persons boarding a Translux bus en route to Durban on Monday,” Rautenbach reported. “They may have been travelling between Mbombela, Durban and Johannesburg since leaving town,” he added. This was confirmed by another source close to the investigation. Although the last reported sighting of the two recorded that they were not carrying any luggage, CCTV footage portrays them carrying large bags.
Whether either of the two have been abducted or are missing, has been placed in dispute by Anthony’s mother. “Samantha decided to go travel with Anthony. He did not force her and he did not abduct her,” Helen said yesterday. “She is an adult – she is 19 years old – she can make her own decisions. I have no further comment apart from this: ‘I am a mother and I am upset and sad. We hope and pray for the safe return of our son.” Helen added that any defamatory statements about her son would be met with legal action.
Stella also pleaded for her daughter’s safety: “My husband, Grant, and I are very concerned. We love her dearly and want her home safe. We hope and pray for a phone call or a message confirming that she is safe and well. Our heartfelt thanks is extended to everyone who is assisting us in the search for Samantha.”
