Police have extended their search for two Belhar boys who were last seen the day Klopse descended on the city centre.
|||Police have extended their search for two Belhar boys who went missing on Saturday, possibly on their way to see the Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade in the city centre.
The main areas being searched are Belhar, Tygervalley, Bellville, the CBD and Athlone.
Junaid Baker, 10,and Justin Lee Jacobs, 12, were last seen together near Justin’s home on Saturday morning, the day Klopse from around Cape Town descended on the city centre.
Justin’s mother, Cynthia Jacobs, suspects the pair may have been drawn into the excitement of Klopse troops who were travelling from Belhar to the city.
She says Justin went missing for two days last year at the same time because he travelled with the Klopse to view the Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade.
On Wednesday, the boys’ families got news that vagrants in Bellville town centre had seen the boys.
The families spent most of yesterday handing out flyers there.
“Many people said that they had seen the boys but no one could say where they were,” said Jacobs. “We are worried, because this has been a week now. What are they eating? Where are they sleeping?”
Junaide, too, has stayed away from home overnight on one or two occasions, said his grandmother Bahia Lubbe.
“But this is not normal,” she said. “A 10-year-old boy cannot look after (himself) for such a long time. That has got us very worried because we do not know if they are being held against their will.
“But, it is also possible that they are now too scared to come home because they are worried that they’ll be in trouble for having caused so much stress.”
Police have asked anyone who has seen the boys to contact Warrant Officer Coetzee at 021 953 8100 or 072 214 7439.
Junaid was wearing a blue sweater with stripes, cream three-quarter pants and white takkies. Justin was wearing blue denim shoes, blue jeans and a blue golf shirt.
Cape Argus