Pansy Msimanga, the mother of Unisa law student Sinqobile Zanele Msimanga, is seeking help for her daughter to return home.
The distraught mother said Sinqobile, 26, has never disappeared from home before.
Msimanga, from Springs in Ekurhuleni, is having sleepless nights since Sinqobile disappeared on July 4 after a misunderstanding between them. She fears that her child might be in danger because money is withdrawn from her account. Even last Thursday, money was withdrawn from her account in west of Johannesburg.
On July 19, the mother received a call from an unknown number. The person/s informed her that in order for her to get her daughter unharmed, she needed to pay a ransom of R3500.
Msimanga informed the police who later told her that the number is unregistered.
She reached out to The Star last week, complaining that police have not opened a missing person’s case. She said after a week of her daughter not returning home, she went to Springs police station to report her missing.
Msimanga said officers turned her away, and advised her to first look for her child from her friends or family.
Other relatives from Soweto visited Dobsonville and Doornkop police station to report a missing person.
Gauteng SAPS provincial spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza took the matter by the horns when Independent Media reached out to her to assist the distraught mother.
Kweza said all members of the police know that a missing person matter must be treated with urgency.
She organised a meeting between Msimanga and Station Commander at Springs Police Station.
On Sunday, Kweza confirmed that police have opened an inquiry docket into Sinqobile’s disappearance.
“Spring police are investigating allegations that police refused to assist the mother of a victim who has been missing since the beginning of the month. If any wrongdoing has been established among the members, they will be dealt with accordingly,” said Kweza.
Msimanga said being a mother, she scolded Sinqobile to be serious about the one module which she had failed before, however, her daughter got angry.
“I jokingly told her to leave my house if she does not want to finish her studies and have a future. I thought as a parent, I was scaring her, but indeed she prepared to leave. Before leaving her home, she took a bank card, ID and her driving license. I thought she was going to come back, until now she has not returned but I fear for her life,” said the mother.
Msimanga said the following day she was spotted at Daveyton Mall carrying a shopping bag and entered a public toilet. The person who saw her had no idea what had happened, they thought she went shopping.
Msimanga said two days later, she came across a TikTok post where people claimed they found a missing girl who did not utter a word.
“I reached out to the person who shared the post, I told them that the girl looks like my daughter. But the person said they were just sharing from another group as the person was found in Soweto. Until today, no one came forward with information about my daughter,” said Msimanga.
She said she thinks this module was frustrating her daughter. She said she even seemed like a person who is depressed because she has failed it before.
Msimanga said when they checked her room they found medication to deal with stress. She said her daughter did not tell her about them.
She said her daughter used to run her errands independently, however, towards her disappearance, she had changed and asked small things like what to cook etc, she said she noticed she was not okay.
Msimanga said she asked her friends about her whereabouts but none of them knew.
She said her daughter three or four years ago once had psychological problems, the family took her to church and she recovered. She said she had a hope that she had healed because the following year, she wrote 10 modules and failed one.
“Sinqobile my daughter, I love you as your mother, I understand the stress you were undergoing, I know that when you were born your father had been shot and killed… all these things, only now that I am noticing that I never took you to psychologists when you were young, it is only now as a parent I am seeing that some other things you failed to do them but I love you. I took good care of you until now that you are an adult, even though I shouted at you I did it because I want you to complete your studies so that you can have a bright future. Please come back home l, I forgive you and please forgive me, I trust that one day we will meet, come back home if you are alive,” pleaded Msimanga.
She said she was really led down by the police.
Msimanga shared screenshots of withdrawals at three places which made her suspicious that it might be someone else but not her daughter.
She said around 2am (early hours Sunday) she received a text from a person who questioned her if she has opened a missing person case, that person said another person passed information about her missing daughter that was why he contacted her. That person said she heard something about her missing daughter.
The person texted: “My friend says she’s (Sinqobile) one of the people that might’ve been a victim of the human trafficking syndicate he says he does remember seeing this girl but can’t exactly explain the full story fearing he might get into trouble with dangerous people”.
Msimanga is worried, she is pleading with anyone who see her to assist.
Anyone who sees the missing Sinqobile, please contact police 0800 10 111.
The Star
ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za