Relatives shouldn’t wait 24 hours to report a missing person, the deputy minister of police lashed out at his own institution on Friday.
“This nonsense of 24 hours has to stop,” deputy minister of police Bongani Mkongi said.
“In that process of 24 hours, our children are killed and raped.”
He was speaking at the funeral service for Katlego “Katli” Joja in Mamelodi West on Friday morning.
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Katlego was a 10-year-old autistic Mamelodi girl, who tragically died after she disappeared from her family home in Mamelodi West on Thursday, 3 May.
Mkongi was reacting to allegations that Mamelodi police repeatedly turned back Kalego’s family when they tried to report her missing last week.
“Those police officers who refused to open a case will be reprimanded,” he said.
“If we could use a helicopter on Saturday, why not on Thursday – it’s because of that nonsense of 24 hours.”
“We need to learn about autism so we can be ready to deal with it,” he also said.
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Uncle of the family, Mike Mbatha also recounted the details behind Katlego’s unexplained disappearance.
“Last week Thursday, my sister Lilly phoned me and was very hysterical over the phone,” he said.
“Later that day, we went to search for her but with little luck, as the night approached. I started to worry. I remember that night it got so cold and I was concerned about her whereabouts because from what I know, she wasn’t wearing anything warm when she was last seen.”
Mbatha said he kept receiving phone calls from people asking about her.
“It became tougher as the days came by. On Friday, police, family and the community kept looking far and beyond,” he said.
“During our search, strangely a spot around D2 and Tsakane kept coming up, which is the place where she was found.”
Katlego was found floating in a nearby river by a drug addict named Frank Mudau on Sunday – four days after she was reported missing.
Mbatha thanked Mudau for finding Katlego.
“This man should be thanked because if it wasn’t for him, we would have still been searching for Katlego,” Mbatha said.
“We hope the young man can change his life around and stop causing trouble.”
Mudau found the 10-year-old girl while running away from family and police when he dived into the Moretele River.
Katlego’s school principal, Karen Dick, said she was blessed to have worked with her.
“She’s been at the school since 2015. People who know her will tell you that she was all about love. I hope I have made her proud.”
Dick said the school was planning to have a bursary in her honour in future.
Community and youth representatives, Oupa Mtsweni and Mmapitso said Katli’s death should not be in vain.
They hoped it would serve as an eye-opener to the police.
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