By Samukelisiwe Gumede
After more than two months of the abduction and death of a 9-year-old boy, the parents and caregivers of Westridge in Newlands West are now extra-vigilant about their children’s safety.
They said the safety and well-being of their children are of utmost importance to them. Many parents are now more vigilant about their children’s whereabouts after the death of Sibusiso Mpangase.
Maria Nkosi, a mother of three, said: “Since the kidnapping, I’ve been walking my children to and from school every day. It’s terrifying to think that something like this could happen at any time.”
She added that this is negatively affecting their children’s development because now they cannot even go outside to play like they used to.
Zolile Gxaba, a community member, said that the community has come together to implement precautionary measures.
“There is now a group chat for the community members, a neighbourhood watch and the operators who fetch the children from school look out for abductors. We are all working together to keep our children safe after school hours. We also encourage kids to always walk in groups when going to and coming from school, and to not talk to strangers.”
As a way to advise the parents and guardians, Nastassja Maharaj, a social worker supervisor at the Association For Persons With Physical Disabilities KZN, said: “Parents should always make sure they can see, hear or know where their children are at all times. Some parents have even resorted to ‘tagging’ their children. This is where a GPS device is either placed in their backpacks or built into their watches and devices. These devices have a ‘Look for Me’ app that sends the child’s GPS location to the parent’s device if the child feels unsafe. This is an excellent tool for kids that parents should consider.”
The South African Police Service Corporate (SAPS) Communications Head Office’s Warrant Officer Winnie Mokalapa said the police have come up with ways to tackle the problem of child safety.
“The SAPS is conducting missing person’s awareness campaigns within communities across the country, as well as visiting schools to educate children on safety measures. For example, children must know the police’s emergency contact number, 10111, and their parents’ or guardians’ contact numbers, as well as their home addresses from an early age. These are just a few safety tips the SAPS is sharing with parents and children when visiting schools and community outreach programmes,” she said.
The Westridge ward councillor Allan Peterson, expressed optimism that things will improve. “We are hoping for some changes and better systems to create better safety measures. One can always be fearful and wonder about the circumstances of a loved one going missing.”
