WATCH | A mother's heart-wrenching appeal as hunt continues for missing 9-year-old Durban boy
It has been nine days since a Durban mother Raylene Louw last saw her nine-year-old son Miguel who has been reported missing.
“It was Tuesday morning. I was getting him ready for school‚ brushing his hair and tying his shoelaces‚ and I just kept patting his head and I gave him a big kiss‚” said the emotional mother. “At 7am I watched him leave the door with his sister and I said ‘bye‚ I love you‚ enjoy your day’‚” she added.
It is believed that Miguel was taken from his school‚ located less than a minute from his home‚ on July 17 in the afternoon.
According to Miguel's grandmother‚ Arlene Paul‚ CCTV footage placed Miguel at a KFC next door to his house with a man‚ who has been an acquaintance of the family for about two weeks‚ on the day of his disappearance.
“He does know the person who has taken him. This guy went to Rippon School (Miguel's school) and then the footage shows them at KFC. He had some chicken with the child… You can actually see him pulling the boy and Miguel doesn’t want to go into the taxi and he grabs his hand and puts him in the taxi‚” said Paul.
She said Miguel's father‚ Kirk‚ and several other family members and friends were chasing a number of leads to find the boy.
SAPS spokesman Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said: "It is alleged that on July 17 2018‚ a 10-year-old boy [sic] was alleged taken from the school by someone known to him. On Friday Sydenham police arrested a 43-year-old suspect for kidnapping but the child was nowhere to be found and the investigation continues."
The man appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday and was remanded in custody. He will appear in court again this coming Monday.
“We appeal to anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact Sydenham police on 031 203 2703 or Crime Stop 08600 10111‚” Mbhele said.
Since the boys' disappearance‚ the family have visited shelters and hospitals in search for the child and ask that anyone with information contact the Sydenham police‚ or the child’s grandmother‚ Arlene Paul‚ on 062 3655 309‚ or his father‚ Kirk Louw‚ on 065 515 0293