Two years after six -year-old Shasha-Lee November and her family is still having sleepless nights about their darling daughter.
The cute little girl vanished mysteriously while playing outside her Groenal Walk home in Hanover Park on 3 May 2015.
The little girl who was in Grade 1 at Belmore Primary school has never been seen again.
On Wednesday night, a mass of community members, Shasha-Lee’s mother Sandra November, police and missing person organisation The Pink Ladies held a vigil in the court where she disappeared.
Flyers of other missing children like that of Kauthar Bobbs, five, who went missing while playing in a park in Cedarberg Street near her Tafelsig home on 12 October 2012 were also circulated.
Shaskia Michaels, 4, disappeared in September 2013 while playing outside her home in Bayern Munich Street, in Freedom Park.
According to police sources, Shasha-Lee's 58-year-old father — believed to be a gang member — was arrested on Thursday afternoon for illegal possession of ammunition and drugs and is due in court on Friday.
"A 58-year-old man was arrested for illegal possession of ammunition and drugs at Groenall Walk in Hanover Park on 2017-05-04 at 14:00. The suspect is due to make a court appearance at the Athlone Magistrate Court on Friday, 2017-05-05."
Speaking at the vigil, a top cop at Philippi Police Station, Lieutenant -Colonel Desmond Laing, gave youngsters a stern warning on drugs and gangs and also educated them about what to do when confronted by a child predator.
“Our generation between the ages of 16 and 25 years old are halfway in the gutters already and half of them are already drug addicts,” he said.
“We are losing people daily.
“These are tips for young children: if you are alone at home and your mother, father, sister isn’t home and someone knocks at the door, don’t open the door and if someone calls and asks for your parents, say they are busy, do not say you’re alone.
“Get to know your address.”
Dessie Rechner, the Director of Pink Ladies, told community members someone must know what happened to little Shasha-Lee.
She also educated residents and police about searches for missing children, looking at homes closest to where the child lives, which cops often do not follow.
“Someone standing in this community knows what happened to Shasha-Lee, we are asking you to come forward,” she said.
“When a child goes missing, do not wait 24 hours.
“Police need to follow the five-point search which means searching the five homes near the child’s home and that is north, south, east and west.
“Bring in a police dog, if he finds something, he will indicate this to his handler.”
This week, Sandra said the family had sleepless night hoping Shasha-Lee would return home.
The mom suffered a stroke after her child went missing.
Mayor Patricia de Lille had also put out a reward of R25 000.
If you have any information on Shasha-Lee’s whereabouts please contact The Pink Ladies on 072 214 7439 or Fax2email 086 276 3270 or 086 680 0490.