Klawer residents on the West Coast have vowed to intensify their search for missing 8-year-old Jeneva Diergal.
A search party was activated after news of her disappearance on Friday. She was last seen playing outside her aunt’s house with her cousin.
Jeneva was wearing a size 5-6 Barbie doll light pink sweater, size 5-6 short black tights and was barefoot. She is partially paralysed on the right side of her body.
Her mother, Getruida Diergal, said: “I am okay under the circumstances. I just hope she will be found. The police still have nothing, but we are also trying our best to help find her.”
She said she was grateful to everyone who had been helping with the search.
“I don’t think she is far from home. I just hope she is alive. I am praying every day that she will be found and returned unharmed.”
Ward councillor Mathilda Bains said the 45-degree heat had not stopped them from searching.
She said a number of people had claimed to have spotted Jeneva in parts of Klawer and those leads were being investigated.
“When it is very hot, many of the children go to the canal and, according to people, they saw her near the canal. We also heard that she was seen walking in the direction of the N7 and we went to look there.”
She said another person claimed to have seen her on Saturday morning.
Bains said the search party did not think the police were doing enough to help find the child.
“The other thing is that the police do not have all the necessary resources, so they are waiting for search groups from far and they are also waiting for a helicopter and dogs.”
Police spokesperson André Traut has appealed to members of the public to come forward with any information about the missing child.
Anyone with information can contact Captain Leon Matthys of Vredendal FCS on 082 334 8862 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line 32211.
Source: IOL