The search continues for missing 23-year-old student Isabel Ndlovu, who is believed to have walked home from Wynberg to Khayelitsha during the chaos of the taxi strike last week.
Relative Phenius Dickens said they last saw her on Thursday morning.
“She left the house around 6am and went to college in Wynberg. On the same day, her mother phoned her from the US and she confirmed that she was in a taxi home and was waiting for other passengers to get in.
From there we never had any communications with her again.
“We have been trying to phone her countless times and we have opened a case with the police. We are in a difficult situation and we are very saddened,” Dickens said.
Police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie said a missing persons report was opened at Harare SAPS on Friday, after which the inquiry docket was transferred to Lingelethu West.
“Efforts to trace her by the investigating officer had been unsuccessful thus far, but investigation continues.”
Anyone with information can SMS Crime Line anonymously on 32211.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape Education Department has reported that 456 020 learners and 17 449 staff were prevented from getting to school on Monday due to the taxi strike.
About 27 schools had to close and a number of other schools allowed learners to leave early if needed, the department said.
Education MEC David Maynier said: “We are committed to keeping schools open as far as possible and where it is safe to do so, not just as places of learning, but as places of safety and nutritional support for children. Decisions to close selected schools will be taken on a case-by-case basis, and the school in question will inform parents.
“Unfortunately, rumours that schools were being targeted and burned spread wildly this morning, resulting in panic and confusion. No school has reported such an incident.”
Equal Education spokesperson JayDee Cyster expressed concern about the impact of the ongoing taxi strike on learners and school communities.
“This is not the first time this year that learning in the province has been disrupted because of tensions between the provincial government and Santaco.
“At the start of the school year, one week in February, nearly 5 000 learners were prevented from travelling to school due to a taxi blockade.
“A similar thing happened last year when a taxi strike almost disrupted the matric exam when 128 000 learners in the province were kept from accessing schools.
“These flare-ups have serious consequences for learners and school communities in marginalised areas like townships, where it’s difficult to change routines and plans to accommodate disruptions,” Cyster said.
South African Democratic Teachers Union provincial secretary Sibongile Kwazi called on members to immediately report any suspicious activities to the police.
“Our members must first assess whether it is safe to enter their area of work, and if not, report to the principal, who must inform the Circuit Manager. If the school is in a volatile area, they must stay at home and inform the authorities via the principal.”
“This strike is once more showing the gap that exists between previously advantaged schools and our black working class schools. Teaching and learning is continuing in some areas, while the black schools throughout the province are affected, and normal schooling cannot take place,“ Kwazi said.
Cape Times