'Arrest the mom': Community goes on rampage, demands answers on missing boy Nkosingiphile
Police in Mpumalanga have appealed to community members to remain calm and allow investigators space to probe the circumstances around the disappearance of three-year-old child, Nkosingiphile Ntiwane, from Mshadza Trust in Masoyi.
Earlier this week, IOL reported that the boy, with hearing impairment, vanished while playing at home on Sunday.
The police’s appeals for calm were made after some community members went on the rampage and protested on the R38 Road from Wednesday night until Thursday morning.
“During the violent protest, the participants demanded the arrest of the child’s mother, and pelted stones at the Masoyi police station, where a police van was damaged,” said Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson.
“There were also threats of torching the house belonging to the missing child’s family. Due to the volatile situation, police had to remove the family members to a safer place in an attempt to prevent loss of life.”
Public order policing (POP) members had to be brought in, to defuse the situation.
“This exercise is not helping the situation but derails everybody from the main issue of locating the missing child. The police have heightened visibility in and around the area due to the tense situation,” said Mdhluli.
He said available resources have been used by the police in the ongoing effort to locate the missing child.
“The police’s search and rescue, as well as the K9 unit, have been on board from the day the missing child was reported missing, led by the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit,” said Mdhluli.
Thus far, the child has not been found. However the police’s relentless efforts continue in the extensive search for missing Nkosingiphile.
Meanwhile, acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has pleaded with members of the public to work in collaboration with the experts in the investigation field, assigned to probe the disappearance of the little boy.
“If anyone has information that will assist, let those details be shared with the police because our goal is to find the child. We must not lose focus as every minute counts, so let us unite in this endeavour rather than pointing fingers at each other, ” he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News