Seven-year-old year old Sqalo Phumelela Ntlooa who went missing while hunting with friends in Cator Manor.
Image: Supplied
A desperate search is underway for seven-year-old Sqalo Phumelela Ntlooa, who went missing on Sunday afternoon while out hunting with friends in the dense Nsimbini Forest near the Albert Luthuli grounds in Cato Manor.
Sqalo, a Grade 2 pupil at Nsimbini Primary School, was part of a group of children who entered the forest with dogs to hunt small prey. While the rest of the group returned home, Sqalo did not. His disappearance has sparked concern and a co-ordinated search effort.
Prem Balram of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said they were contacted by the boy’s distraught family late on Sunday night after a community-led search failed to locate him. Reaction Officers are now leading a more extensive effort, that includes an aerial search by the RUSA R44 Helicopter scheduled to lift off from the RUSA helipad to scour the forest from above.
“The search has been complicated by conflicting accounts from the children who were with Sqalo. “While some reported that he did not return from the forest, others claimed he had gone to a nearby tuck shop to play arcade games. However, tuck shop employees interviewed by the search party said they had not seen the child. In a further twist, one child alleged that Sqalo was seen boarding an unknown vehicle after the group returned from the forest. This claim has not been verified,” said Mr Balram.
At the time of his disappearance, Sqalo was wearing a blue T-shirt and orange pants.
The community is urged to assist in the search efforts. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Sqalo Phumelela Ntlooa is asked to contact Reaction Unit South Africa on 086 1234 333.