Africa Daily

Why do so many children go missing in South Africa?


Listen Later

Today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje sits down with Johannesburg mother Mankepe Matsoakeletse.

Her daughter, seven-year-old Agnes, went missing in August 1989.
She hasn’t stopped searching for her.
“I do not know if she is alive or struggling or if she is eating. That's why I cannot give up. I cannot forget because I do not know what kind of life she is living where she is, if she is still alive”, she says.
This conversation comes as South Africa will be commemorating Child Protection Week, between the 29th of May and June the 5th.
According to the police, almost 700 youngsters were reported missing between 2023 and 2024.
More than 470 of them were found and reunited with their families, the rest were either found dead or never accounted for at all.
Tragically, the trend continued the following year, with more than 200 youngsters losing their lives or vanishing without a trace.
Mpho will also be hearing from Bianca van Aswegeng and Brigadier Attie Lamprecht of the South African Police Service.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Africa DailyBy BBC World Service

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

170 ratings


More shows like Africa Daily

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,621 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,045 Listeners

Focus on Africa by BBC World Service

Focus on Africa

380 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

292 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,484 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,794 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,775 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,042 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,090 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

359 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

743 Listeners

The China in Africa Podcast by The China-Global South Project

The China in Africa Podcast

209 Listeners

Al Jazeera News Updates by Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera News Updates

251 Listeners

The Take by Al Jazeera

The Take

546 Listeners

Into Africa by CSIS  |  Center for Strategic and International Studies

Into Africa

142 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,141 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

739 Listeners

Hold Your Fire! by International Crisis Group

Hold Your Fire!

64 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,640 Listeners

The Inside Story Podcast by Al Jazeera

The Inside Story Podcast

145 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

272 Listeners

The Explanation by BBC World Service

The Explanation

24 Listeners