There were tears of joy when a mentally disabled man from Manenberg was reunited with his family after he disappeared from a packed Athlone Stadium on Sunday morning after watching the Klopse.
Sister Wilhemena Smith, who cares for her two mentally disabled brothers said they were on their way out of the stadium when her brother Louis van Rooyen, 62, bent to pick up a bottle and got lost in the crowd.
The family and community searched for four days at hospitals, morgues, the CBD and the entire Athlone area until they got a lead that Louis was taken to Bonteheuwel Police Station.
Taxi driver Denver Jacobs says he was transporting mense from Athlone Stadium to Bonteheuwel when he met Louis.
Denver says: “Louis got into my taxi and when we were done offloading the van, Louis was the last person, so I asked him where is he getting off and he kept saying ‘hok’... that’s when I noticed he is mentally challenged.
“I told my gaatjie we need to take him to the police station where it is safe, because it won’t be right for us to take him back to Athlone because he can’t explain where he lives.
“On Wednesday, as I was scrolling through TikTok, I saw a missing post about him and I remembered his face. I left a comment and later the family got in contact with me.”
When Louis arrived home in Thames Walk on Wednesday night, the community came out to welcome him home.
Wilhemena says: “We are so happy he is safe home. We cried so much and we can only thank God and every person who helped us find Louis.”
But the family is questioning police’s treatment of Louis while in their custody.
Cousins Tasneem Abrahams, Idriez Rinquest and Andrew Samuels say when they got to Bonteheuwel Police Station, they were initially told that Louis was not there.
They explained: “Denver met us at Bonteheuwel and was adamant that he dropped Louis there, eventually they showed us the log book and they didn’t book Louis in. After the constable made a phone call to the officers who were on duty that night, two staff members confirmed that he was there and transferred to Bishop Lavis SAPS.”
When they arrived at Bishop Lavis cop shop, they were “interrogated” by a colonel and told that cops had no knowledge that Louis was there.
“SAPS are lying. We went to go check an unknown body at Tygerberg Hospital and on our way back home, we got a call that Louis is home and he was dropped by Manenberg SAPS. They claim that they found him in the street in Philippi.
“Louis said that he was given bread and water which means he was in a holding cell.
“If he was at Manenberg SAPS, his poster is also at the station, so they would’ve seen it. There is a big piece of the puzzle missing.”
Louis was robbed of R140 and his shoes were stolen but he said that he is happy to be back home and sleeping in his own bed.