Zuma asks public to help find 5-year-old

President Jacob Zuma has called on the public to help find the missing 5-year-old Mongezi Phike who disappeared when he and his father were hijacked in Bronkhorstspruit on Thursday, the presidency said.

“President Jacob Zuma has called on the public to help law enforcement authorities to bring back 5-year-old Mongezi Phike, safe and unharmed after a horrible hijacking left his father for dead, as criminals hijacked their car,” said presidency’s spokesperson, Mac Maharaj in a statement.

It was reported that the boy and his father were in a car at an intersection in Masada, Bronkhorstspruit, when four men approached them, two of whom were armed.

“The men were armed with firearms and hijacked the man and the child. They took them to Zithobeni, an informal settlement, where they allegedly assaulted the man very badly,” said police spokesperson, Captain Marissa Van Der Merwe.

According to the presidency, the father was reportedly bound hand and foot with wire, while his head was covered with a plastic bag and tape was wrapped around his neck, leaving him for dead.

The police stated, however, that the father was dragged back into the car after the assault in Zithobeni and was dumped on the side of the road. “After the brutal assault, the hijackers allegedly took the father, dropped him on the side of the road before fleeing with the vehicle and the 5-year-old still inside,” said Van Der Merwe.

The father was reportedly found at a construction site. “His ID, wallet, credit cards and phone were taken. He was later found abandoned at a construction site and is now in hospital recuperating while his son remains missing,” Maharaj said.

Phike was last seen wearing a red and white jersey, red tracksuit pants and white takkies. He has dark eyes and short black hair. His father drove a dark grey Nissan Sentra, registration number JYM465GP. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can contact Missing Children on 072-647-7464 or the Bronkhorstspruit police on 013-932-9222.

“We also call on law enforcement authorities to spare no effort in seeking these criminals and bring them to justice, while we urge members of the community to help the police in their work so that Mongezi can be brought home safely. We cannot imagine the pain and sorrow that his family is going through,” said President Zuma.

Also read:  Boy kidnapped during hijacking

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