A Mitchells Plain family is appealing for help in finding two pensioners who disappeared without a trace after collecting their social grants at Town Centre last week.
The worried daughter of Nightingale and Dennis April says they are having sleepless nights as they searching frantically for the elderly couple who went missing last Wednesday.
Daughter Juanita Solomons says the couple were last seen leaving their home in Heinz Park on Wednesday, 3 April.
“My mom is 75 and my dad is 68. They live together with my brother in Heinz Park and they were last heard of on 3 April,” she says.
“They left home and would normally travel with a taxi to Town Centre once a month to fetch their pension grants.
“On the day they went missing, the neighbour called me after 5pm asking if my mother was at my house in Mitchells Plain because they didn’t come home yet and that is when we knew something was wrong because she wasn’t with us and doesn’t go to places because my father doesn’t like to kuier. I immediately called my mother but her cellphone was off.’’
Juanita says the family immediately descended on Town Centre to start searching at all the places they could have gone.
“They told us the camera footage can only be given to the police officer and we reported it immediately to Samora Machel SAPS as Heinz Park falls under them.
“We looked all over and we got information that they were spotted in Town Centre on the day they disappeared but no information after that.
“We went to their house and found everything in order with all their belongings including their ID documents still in the house, so it'’s not like they planned to go anywhere.”
She says they are deeply concerned as it is unlike her parents to disappear like this.
“We are so worried, we can’t sleep. They have never gone missing - and for both of them to be gone? My parents both suffer from high blood pressure and are on medication and have now been days without their medications.
“We went to hospitals and mortuaries but so far we have found nothing. We ask anyone that knows something to please contact us.
If you have seen the couple, call Juanita on 079 520 1834.
Police spokesperson, Malcolm Poje, confirms a missing persons report has been opened.
Anyone with information can contact the investigation officer, Sgt Dicks Madikane, at 073 819 8703.