The circumstances surrounding Boitumelo Phoko’s disappearance are yet to be clarified. Police spokesperson, Sam Tselenyane, can at this stage only confirm that she has been found, but is unable to elaborate on the exact details as yet. 

Phoko was last seen on 30 September at a taxi rank in Klerksdorp at around 10:30. She was on her way from Wolmaransstad to Potchefstroom at the time. Tselenyane said she disappeared in the midst of a taxi swap. Phoko’s pictures were widely circulated by concerned community members from the Ikageng township following her disappearance.

Meanwhile, the search for seven-year-old Kgothatso Molefe, from Tlhabane in  Rustenburg, continues. Molefe has now been missing for more than two months. She was last seen allegedly getting into an unidentified car with two men. 

Molefe’s disappearance put scholar safety in the province under the spotlight with the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the province raising questions over whether sufficient resources have been used to locate the grade two pupil’s whereabouts since her disappearance. 

Sanco Provincial Chairperson, Paul Sebegoe, calls on the provincial education department to beef up the school safety programme and involve the community as a part of their crime prevention strategy.

OFM News