AN Elsies River family is desperately appealing for help to find their missing autistic 17-year-old daughter, who disappeared on Thursday.
Zoe Joshua left their home in Salberau with her three-year-old niece Jermica Andrews without informing anyone.
After a gut-wrenching search Jermica was found safe and unharmed on Tuesday morning in Kleinvlei, but Zoe is still missing.
Concerned mother Michelle Joshua explained that Zoe has disappeared in the past, which has caused the family genuine anguish, having been reported missing in April 2021.
According to information she received, Zoe dropped Jermica at an aunty's house in Kleinvlei.
Michelle said: “Zoe has this thing that when she sees a gap to slip away then she takes it. Jermica was playing in the yard with a friend and Zoe was in the house because we do not allow her to move around. We always lock the security gate but on Thursday the gate was not locked.
"My 21-year-old daughter was at home taking care of two little children with my mother who is wheelchair bound and I was at work."
Michelle said that she received a call from an unknown man who sounded like a foreigner on Thursday evening saying he is at Dunoon taxi rank and wanted to speak to Zoe.
She added: “I told him Zoe is not at home, then he said that Zoe and Jermica were in Dunoon but they left already. I told him to please look for them and we will come with transport to fetch them.
"A few minutes later, this man phoned back and said he have the two of them with him. I spoke to Zoe and questioned her why she was there and how she got there. I said please stay there, we are coming to get you and she said ‘yes, mummy ek het gehoor.
"When we got to Dunoon, this man said he was dropping a client in Parow. I told him he could’ve met us halfway because we are in Elsies River. He said he will let us know when he is back. He never got back to us and his phone is still off.”
Michelle said that Zoe was sent the to Lindelani Child and Youth Care Centre in Stellenbosch - for children with serious behavioural challenges - due to her disappearing, but that did not help.
Monique Mortlock-Malgas from the Department of Social Development confirmed that Zoe was a resident of Lindelani and was subsequently discharged in October 2024 to be reunified with her family.”
Police spokesperson Captain F.C Van Wyk confirmed that Jermica Andrews was found Tuesday morning and reunited with her family however the search for Zoe Joshua continues.
Anyone who can assist with information that can lead to the safe return of Zoe is kindly requested to contact the investigating officer Detective Constable Aden Carelse on 082 522 1090 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or alternatively use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.