TVET student goes missing days before boyfriend ‘commits suicide’
The police are appealing to anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Kgaogelo Shai (20) to contact them immediately.
LIMPOPO – According to Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe, Kgaogelo Shai from Mulalani Village at Sekororo was last seen on Saturday, 29 August, two days before her boyfriend reportedly committed suicide.
The 20-year-old is a student at Letaba TVET College in Tzaneen and was staying as a lodger at Mokgoloboto village. “She was last seen on 29 August with her new boyfriend Ronny Kgatla, from Mokgoloboto village, who reportedly committed suicide on Monday, 31 August,” Ngoepe explained.
He added that searches conducted within the nearby area and at her friends and relatives have been unsuccessful. “Police are urging anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact either Dt Sergeant Lawrence Shikwambana at 0723737399, Lt Col Makasela Henry Mushwana at 0824517156 or WO Madihlaba at 0728436592. Alternatively, they can also contact the 24-hour Crime Stop number at 0860010111 or the nearest Police Station.
The police have since urged communities to report a person as missing as soon as they know they are missing. You do not need to wait for 24 hours
“There is an ongoing impression that you need to wait at least 24 hours to report a person missing. This is not true at all- there is no waiting period to report a person as missing. You must go to the police as soon as you suspect that the person has been abducted or disappeared,” Ngoepe said.
According to the South African Police Service, you need to do the following when reporting a missing person:
- Produce a recent photograph of the missing person
- You need to give a description of the person, where were they last seen and with whom, what were they wearing, their age, their hair colour, eye colour
- You need to sign a form at the police station which safeguards the police from false reports and indemnifies the police to distribute the picture and information of the missing person
- Get the details of the investigating officer and inform them of any new information that may arise
- Should the person return home or be found by other people but not the police, it’s your responsibility to inform the investigating offer so that they can give you another form to fill and they can inform the Bureau for Missing Persons to remove them from the circulation system.
