US pastor saved by SAPS; now save our children
Media Statement by Thandi Nontenja, MP and UDEMWO Secretary General
The United Democratic Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) notes the successful rescue of the American pastor who was kidnapped in Gqeberha. We commend the swift and coordinated response by the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) multidisciplinary units, which led to the neutralisation of the suspects and the safe recovery of the victim. This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when our law enforcement agencies act decisively and collaboratively.
Too often, kidnappings in South Africa are driven by ransom demands a terrifying reality for victims and their families. The pastor’s case, although foreign in nationality, highlights a problem that affects our own people daily.
We must now turn the same urgency and coordination toward the heartbreaking epidemic of missing South Africans, particularly children.
According to recent reports, over 600 children have been reported missing in 2024 alone, with dozens still unaccounted for. Among these tragic cases is that of Joshlin Smith, whose disappearance from Saldanha Bay shocked the nation and remains unresolved.
The lack of closure in such cases is devastating to families and communities alike. We urge SAPS to apply the same multidisciplinary expertise and urgency shown in the Gqeberha rescue to the ongoing crisis of missing persons across South Africa.
Every missing child, woman, or man deserves the same energy, resources, and attention.
It is time that we stop treating these disappearances as isolated incidents and recognise them as a national emergency that demands immediate and consistent action.
The UDEMWO stands in solidarity with the families of the missing. We will continue to push for accountability, effective investigations, and real outcomes. We call on government to prioritise the safety of our people; all of them.
We furthermore urge the families and caregivers of missing children to report such incidents to the SAPS immediately; do not delay, even by a few hours. The 24-hour waiting period is a myth. Time is of the essence when a child goes missing, and swift reporting significantly increases the chances of a safe recovery.
