The mother of a three-year-old girl, who went missing on Thursday morning, is begging anyone who knows anything about her disappearance to come forward and help find her child.
Juanita Pieters, 42, the mother of missing Courtney Pieters says she left the little girl with her seven-year-old brother at their home in Pluto Street, Salberau, and reminded her son not to let the girl out of his sight.
The single mother believes her child was kidnapped and will do everything she can to get her back.
The morning of her disappearance began like any other for Juanita. She woke up and got ready to leave for Epping where she works at a factory.
“I made the children porridge as I do every morning and Courtney snuggled in next to my son Adrian and they were lying there comfortably,” she says.
“I kissed my babies goodbye and reminded Adrian to keep an eye on his sister. When I came from work at 4.30pm, Adrian came running to me saying, ‘Courtney is weg, mammie’, and I started searching.
“The neighbours had already begun looking for her. We contacted the police and went all over the area, but we can’t find my baby anywhere."
Since her disappearance, the police, the community police forum, the neighbourhood watch and residents of Elsies River have been searching for the little girl in shifts.
Yesterday, a prayer service was held at the family home for her safe return.
The gathering was also used to address rumours doing the rounds in the community.
CONCERN: Cops, residents, the community police forum are all searching for Courtney
Juanita says there were varying reports of Courtney’s body as well as her bloodied clothing found here and there, which have only added to the family’s trauma.
“People must please stop spreading lies,” she says.
Yesterday, residents complained of a foul stench coming from an open field close to her home.
An extensive search that went on until late on Sunday night turned up nothing.
Members of the Mitchells Plain Crisis Forum had demanded the police search the vacant lot. There had been fears the little girl's body could be found there.
The site, which was littered with refuse and rubble, had to be cleared by waste disposal teams and the local fire department also aided in clearing away the mess.
However, after an extensive search which included the use of sniffer dogs, the decomposed body of a dog was found to be the cause of the foul smell emanating from the site.
The police had earlier cordoned off the area, preventing members of the forum and other local community teams from searching the lot.
'SHE WAS KIDNAPPED': Courtney Pieters disappeared in Elsies River
Courtney was last seen wearing a yellow and white shirt and blue shorts. She was bare feet.
She has brown eyes and medium-length, dark brown hair which was braided in two plaits and tied with baubles.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirms the search is still continuing.
Anyone who has information is asked to contact Elsies River SAPS on 021 933 0308 or Missing Children SA on 072 647 7464.