It’s been a hellish few months for a 14 month-old toddler who will thankfully have no memory of being abandoned and sold but thankfully rescued and reunited with her grandfather in an ordeal that took her from the South Coast to the North Coast, on Wednesday.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), a private security company in the North Coast, reported on social media that little *Baby N (name withheld to protect the minor’s identity) had been missing for two weeks and was abandoned by her mother, believed to be a drug addict, in Isipingo, in January, this year. RUSA head, Prem Balram, said: “Baby N was allegedly sold after her drug addicted mother abandoned her in Isipingo in January 2022. The guardian passed on and the grandfather then took custody of the child. Her father is unknown and her mother cannot be located. “According to the grandfather, the child was forcefully removed with her birth certificate by his son who lives in Ramsgate, Port Shepstone. The grandfather, who resides in Dawcrest, Verulam, approached RUSA for assistance after unsuccessfully attempting to locate the missing toddler.” Balram said reaction officers painstakingly worked on the case since Wednesday morning and followed leads between Verulam and the KZN South Coast until Baby N was eventually located with a couple in Reservoir Hills, a few hours later. “The couple is not related to the child and are unknown to the family. Reaction Officers also located the Mercedes-Benz used to remove the child from her Dawncrest home. RUSA members approached the house and located Baby N on the upper level of the residence. She was in the care of an elderly female. According to the couple, they approached Baby N’s uncle requesting for the baby to be given to them as they could not bear children. They did not confirm how much was paid for the child,” said Balram.
He added: “When contacted, the uncle misled reaction officers dealing with this matter that the child was in his care in Ramsgate. He added that he would make a video call later this afternoon to confirm this and provide RUSA officers with evidence that the child was safe at his residence. He was unaware that Reaction Officers has obtained information that the baby was in Reservoir Hills and were on-route to rescue her. It was ultimately a joyous reunion after a terrible nightmare for the little baby girl who was fortunately unaware of all the drama that surrounded her,” he said. Balram added that Reaction Officers safely transported Baby N to the care of her legal guardians. “Well done to the RUSA team who meticulously and patiently followed all the leads to ensure the little girl was found and reunited with her guardians. The little one was all smiles after a refreshing bottle of formula. We urge family members to safeguard minors and protect them from the vile and heinous predators who lurk in the community, sometimes disguised as ‘family’,” said Balram.
