The Voice (Francistown)
Chenjelani Baraedi
18 March 2008
Francistown — Dad in desperate search For missing daughter
A Francistown dad, whose 8-year-old daughter went missing ten days ago, has made an emotional plea to the public to help him find his beloved child. Heartbroken Tshepo Mpatane, 41, said his daughter Kefilwe left for school last Tuesday morning as usual, but never returned home.
The concerned man said that when the girl's half brother came home alone, he called the school. "Kefilwe's class teacher told me that she had seen my girl in town with a strange woman.
"She was out of her school uniform and wearing what appeared to be brand new clothes. When the teacher questioned the woman, she claimed to be Kefilwe's mum. "As the mum has not been seen since she dumped the baby on me seven years ago, I became concerned and rushed to the police to report the matter."
Mpatane now suspects that the girl's biological mother, Zimbabwean Nomsa Mahlangu, could be the one who took the child. "She was my former girlfriend, but we split up when she was still pregnant. Then out of the blue she appeared about 18 months later and dumped this naked baby on me and left. That was the last time I saw her.
"The child was sick, but had no medical card or any clothes. I didn't even know her name."
"After taking the child to the clinic, I met the social workers who advised me to keep the girl as long I was certain that she was my child. At the police, I was also given the same advice," he said. As far as Mpatane is concerned, the mother of the girl is still wanted by police for dumping her child. "I have raised Kefilwe alone for the past seven years," he said, "and the woman has never once checked on her."
How she learnt that Kefilwe was attending Aerodrome Primary School still baffles Mpatane, since the woman had never visited him or any of his relatives.
Although the mother is currently the prime suspect, the father is at a loss to understand why she snatched Kefilwe from school without meeting him first. "If she is the one who has taken Kefilwe, I don't know exactly where she might have taken the child, who I'm sure would not even recognize her as her mum. I don't think Kefilwe is happy wherever she is now. If she were not a captive, she would have called me because she knows my number," he said.
He added that his former girlfriend never told him that she was Zimbabwean until the day she came to dump the child in 2001. "When we met, the woman claimed that she was from Sebina village." Class teacher, Annah Mahlaya, said she saw the girl outside Shoprite supermarket with a slim, dark complexioned woman, who claimed to be the girl's mum.
"The woman looked anxious when I explained that I was Kefilwe's teacher," Mahlaya said, revealing that Kefilwe was a well-behaved, intelligent girl.
Head teacher Sturges Shonga expressed his concern at the disappearance of the little girl, and said that matter had been reported to the Education Officer in Francistown.
COPS ON THE CASE
After an initially slow response, police now say their hunt for the missing child is fully operational.
Officer Commanding for Francistown, Alakanani Makobo, confirmed that Tatitown police were dealing with the matter. He explained that the bulk of their work was taken up with reports of missing people. "This takes up a lot of our time and detracts us from our core business of protecting people and property. Nevertheless, we are treating this case with the seriousness it deserves, and have extended our enquiries to as far as Zimbabwe."
He was responding to a complaint from the child's father that police had at first been less than helpful in their efforts to assist. Tatitown police Station Commander, Alfred Ntile, who is leading the hunt, said: "We have spread our search and are working hand in hand with our Zimbabwean counterparts to help trace the girl, although we are not certain it is the mother who has taken her. We have also sent information to all our local stations to help us with any information leading to the arrest of the person or persons concerned," the officer said.
Ntile also appealed to the public to call the nearest police station if they happen to see the child.
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