A Cape Town mother is sick with worry after her teenage daughter has been missing since last week, however, she was left traumatised after local police turned her away.
Ongeziwe Kamlana, 17, a Grade 12 learner at Fezeka High School in Gugulethu has been missing since Saturday, February 17.
The teenager was last seen at a carwash in the area with a boy.
Her distraught mother, Nondumiso Fanti, 44, said she last saw her daughter when she returned home from Saturday classes at school.
“I do not know what she was wearing because, by the time she got home, she was wearing her school uniform. She changed out of her uniform but I didn’t see her when she left the house. I was asleep.
“As far as I know Ongeziwe was last seen at about 8.15pm on Saturday at a carwash at Barcelona informal settlement next to Lwazi Primary School. She was on her way home and was accompanied by a boy,” Fanti said.
The mother and those close to the family have set out in search of the teenager since her disappearance.
However, the already anxious mother went to report her daughter missing at the Gugulethu police station on Saturday.
“I was told to come back Monday and bring along a photo of my daughter. On Monday when I went back I was told to come back on Tuesday. Police said there was a waiting period.
“We have tried reaching out to missing person organisations to assist but they all are looking for a case number which I do not have,” the mother said.
The mother and those close to the family are searching the area in hopes of locating the teenager.
They checked the Nyanga K.T.C and Gugulethu areas.
They have been calling around to hospitals and police stations in search of the girl and will be visiting hospitals this weekend.
The Western Cape police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said there was no waiting period in reporting an individual missing.
“Be advised that there is no waiting period to report a missing person. We have established a standard operational procedure which guides members in dealing with missing persons.
“Members who do not adhere to the prescribes subject themselves to disciplinary investigation in terms of our disciplinary regulations.
The complainant is welcome to liaise with the station management to lodge a complaint in order for the allegation to be investigated,” Pojie said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL