The Kaonga family from Midrand is heartbroken and desperate for answers as they continue their search for 23-year-old Oscar Vimbunga Kaonga, who has been missing since December 30.
Oscar was last seen at his home in President Park, where he was sitting behind the house shortly before his disappearance.
His father, Gealward Kaonga, shared the distressing details of that day, recounting: “When I came out and went behind the house, he was not there. I tried to check around the house, but I didn’t see him. I went to the gate, he was not there. I went down the road, and I could not see him. He usually goes out for walks to relieve boredom or to visit the mall, but this time he went and never came back.”
In a frantic effort to locate Oscar, Gealward checked several police stations, including the nearby Tembisa Hospital, fearing his son may have been in an accident.
“So in the morning, I went to the Midrand police station, and they said there was nobody. I also checked at the Ivory Park police station, and there was no trace of him,” he said, highlighting the family's frantic efforts to report a missing person.
Eventually, a breakthrough came when security personnel at Midrand police station spotted Oscar after he had been reported missing. However, further complications arose when, upon being transferred to Brixton police station, he wandered off again.
Police described Oscar as looking unwell and shaky when he tried to write his name, prompting concerns over his health.
As officers waited for assistance to take him to the hospital, Oscar managed to slip away from the premises unnoticed during the night.
“The police confirmed he was here, sitting and looking sick. They saw him leaving the station and mentioned that he jumped over the road,” Gealward reported, expressing fear and confusion over his son's unsettling circumstances.
Oscar’s whereabouts were last reported in various locations, including a park in Auckland Park and near the Nelson Mandela Bridge, as well as between Hillbrow and Berea.
Gealward is particularly concerned about Oscar's health as he is not taking his regular medication during this critical time.
Described as “very tall” with dark brown eyes, Oscar has a slim build, weighing between 80 and 85 kg, and has numerous scars on his legs. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing short denim pants, a grey and white T-shirt, black Nike socks, and red Nike sneakers, making him instantly recognisable.
The Kaonga family is now appealing to anyone who may have seen Oscar to come forward. They urge members of the public with any information to contact the Midrand SAPS at 011 347 1600, 011 347 1601 or 011 347 1652, or reach out to the Pink Ladies Organisation via WhatsApp at 072 214 7439.
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za