Kako was last seen in Dundee on September 24 and Sergio has made an emotional appeal to South Africans to help find him. “I am going to retrace his steps. Please, please can you help me find Kako. I believe he’s alive and I believe if many people can help, we will find him,” pleaded Sergio.
Chilean father desperately looking for missing son in KZN.“I will not leave until I have found my son.”
These are the words of Sergio Yaksic, who arrived in South Africa on Thursday night to find his missing son, Slavko “Kako” Yaksic, 29, who disappeared on September 25.
Police and private investigators intensified the hunt for the missing Chilean tourist this week in the northern KwaZulu-Natal region, which included fliers being distributed.
Kako and his girlfriend arrived in the country at the beginning of August. They rented a car and visited Kruger National Park and other sights before his partner returned to Chile. He stayed on with the intention of travelling around KwaZulu-Natal as a backpacker and was expected back in Chile on October 10.
He never arrived and his last communication was a WhatsApp message to his girlfriend on September 25. With the family in anguish, Sergio made a heart-rending appeal to South Africans yesterday to find his son.
Sergio arrived on Thursday night and with assistance from the Chilean consulate, he was travelling up to Jozini yesterday where Kako had left his guitar and some other belongings.
Describing his family as very close, Sergio added: “It is strange that he hasn’t communicated with his family. He will know that his father will come and find him. I will not leave until I have found my son.”
Sergio said his son spoke English, Portuguese, German and Spanish and was an experienced traveller. “Kako likes people, he enjoys different cultures and making new friends. He really liked the people of South Africa and the beauty of this country,” he said.
IRS Forensic Investigations, which is handling the case for the family, sent a team to the Dundee area to search for Kako. After receiving reports of two unidentified white males in Johannesburg mortuaries, they had checked there, but neither body was that of the missing man.
IRS private investigator Chad Thomas said his team had met people throughout the northern KZN area. “We were told he was last seen in Dundee and was on his way to Bergville, but was also expected to return to Jozini to pick up belongings he had left there.”
Highlighting that someone, somewhere, has information relating to the case, Thomas confirmed “a reward for information leading to the location of Yaksic has been offered”.
The reward amount is undisclosed. “We encourage anyone to come forward with information, no matter how insignificant that information may be,” he said. This week, missing person agency Pink Ladies also issued an urgent alert which was being widely shared on social media.
Pink Ladies director Dessie Rechner said Kako was last seen wearing a red, brown and yellow-striped top with orange hippie pants, crocs and carrying a backpacker bag with a green water protector.
“We appeal to the public in KZN to keep a lookout, especially in the wider surrounds of Dundee, Bergville and Jozini and the route to OR Tambo airport.”
Dundee police said they were pursuing leads and the investigation was continuing. KZN SAPS spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed that Kako was last seen in Dundee on September 24.
Source: IOL News
