News of a suspect trying to flee Hout Bay with a missing three-year-old child spread like wildfire and the community gathered in droves to cut off the alleged kidnapper before he fled the area. A woman named Kim Worrall shared a live video on Wednesday evening calling for people in the seaside town to urgently assist in finding the suspect who snatched the boy. She alleges that the man was spotted with the young child and was trying to leave the area with him.
Anothando Mhlobo has been missing since Monday, August 10. He was wearing a navy, red and white jacket paired with red and navy tracksuit pants, as well as red and blue Spiderman gumboots at the time of his disappearance. According to the CPF, he was playing outside when he went missing.
In her video message Worrall said: “We need cars literally every 50 metres around the whole perimeter fo the central part of Hout Bay. Down Main Road, down Princess Avenue, especially Main Road, Main Road is not being guarded. This guy is somewhere in the middle, somewhere between Ambleside, Mainstream, International School, Horse Riding School. We need to form a human chain around this central part of Hout Bay…”
The community responded almost immediately and started their search for the suspect.
In another voice note, a member of the Community Policing Forum said he spoke to the local police and there is mass hysteria happening with little information.
“So there’s no verified information about the stuff that’s going around currently so. Kim seems to be a bit hysterical about this information she was given by the community but its not verified. Colonel is out searching everybody who wants to join is welcome to pop in an assist but as far as a the colonel is concerned there is no solid leads at the moment just a lot of conjecture from the community which she’s obviously having to follow up.
“We cant say anything is not true it might be but its certainly not verified that this has happened. That the person has been kidnapped by someone and dragged out of Hout Bay. So all conjecture at the moment but there is a concerted effort of people moving around to try and see if they can find the child so anyone who wants to join the search is welcome it doesn’t seem very organised at present but there are people around the centre of Hout Bay, SAPS vehicles are out so that’s the story.”
This information didn’t disturb the people who walked along canals, under bridges and through wooded areas to find the missing child. Cars lined the streets in Hout Bay and the rain didn’t deter the search. So far, no one has been found.
Hundreds of #HoutBay residents came out to search for missing 3-year-old boy #Anothando Mhlobo tonight. Residents were on the trail of the suspect, searching in bushes, on the banks of the river and in drain pipes. The search continues. ?? pic.twitter.com/sxN8m1GRv9
— Adrian Ephraim (@AdrianEphraim) August 12, 2020
*This is a developing story.