Families of the two missing people who were swept away by strong currents on Saturday afternoon brought in a sangoma to try and find them.

But a third day in search of the missing couple who were washed away by strong waters during a ritual at the Klip River in Olifantsvlei, south of Johannesburg, on Saturday yielded no results.

The two have not been found yet and the search was called off on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, family members brought in a sangoma who allegedly told them that he would locate the missing pair and find them alive.

The two people were swept away as a traditional healer was performing the cleansing ceremony on several people.

The healer managed to get out of the river unharmed with the others, but since Saturday afternoon, there has been no trace of an 18-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man.

Scrolla.Africa joined the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), the South African Police Service (SAPS) Water Wing, and the K9 unit to search for the young people.

A helicopter hovered above the river, trying to help the officials on the ground in the search.

The river water was murky and officials used poles to probe for bodies on the river bed.

EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo confirmed that the search was cancelled on Tuesday afternoon but said it will resume again on Wednesday.

Khumalo said the current was strong and the water levels kept on rising.

She said Johannesburg EMS urges residents in the city, especially pastors, prophets and traditional healers to practise caution when taking their followers to the river for rituals. "They must make sure that the water levels are below knee depth and that it hasn't rained in the last 24 hours," she said.

Those performing rituals must also consider and check the weather for that particular day. "They must put the safety of their followers first," she said.

On 3 December last year, 16 people, including a three-month-old baby, drowned when heavy rain caused flash flooding at the Jukskei River in Alexandra as people were participating in a baptism ceremony.