A concerning surge in missing persons cases in Bulawayo has raised alarm among residents.
The police attribute this trend to factors such as child delinquency and dementia among the elderly.
Over the recent months, numerous families have reported their loved ones missing or shared pictures on social media, causing widespread fear and uncertainty among the community.
Speaking to CITE, Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said in May they received 12 reports and in July they have so far recorded seven cases of missing people among children and women.
“Most of the causes are child delinquency. Those among the 12-15-year-olds get reprimanded and never return home or go to school for two or three days without coming home. Some of them attend extra lessons and never come back home; to us, they would have been reported missing,” she said.
Assistant Inspector Msebele said the 18-25-year-olds go to their boyfriends or elope, but most are found.
“We encourage young women to communicate with at least one family member about their whereabouts, even if they are going to their boyfriends, rather than for us to waste state resources saying someone is missing, with people panicking. So at least let one person know. Some of them don’t even want to be found or their whereabouts known,” she said.
She said in the reports they have received, there are no cases of abuse among the children.
While social media can aid in circulating missing persons’ information, Msebele stressed the necessity of officially reporting cases to the police for proper management and effective search operations.
“Yes, it is good to circulate them on social media platforms, but cancellation on those platforms is difficult. So we encourage people to come to the police station, and if they come across those people, to bring them to the police station.”
She added, “As the police, we will circulate those messages to make it easier for people to look for them at the police station. We also do cancellation when the person has been found; it will be a correct source.”
“Sometimes you see a message saying a person has been lost while another message is circulating saying they have been found, while it’s not true. As police, we issue statements so that there is no confusion on missing people,” said Assistant Inspector Msebele.
Regarding elderly individuals, Msebele noted that cases among men and the elderly are frequently linked to dementia and other chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, causing them to wander and forget their way home.
She urged the public to ensure the safety of elderly relatives and discourage them from venturing out alone.
“We also want to say people have to take care of their ailing relatives, whether they have dementia or chronic illnesses. You find them collapsing in town without anyone knowing their condition, so they shouldn’t let them walk alone,” she said.
In addressing these issues, Msebele called for continued engagement between parents and children to educate them about the risks associated with running away from home, emphasizing the dangers of exploitation.
“They should continue to engage them, communicate with them, and show them the dangers of running away from home. They end up falling into the hands of rapists; there is no protection out there. Running from home is not a solution,” she said.
