The incident has sent shock waves through the community, particularly in the Buffalo Flats area of East London, where the girl was abducted on February 4.
Reports state Fatima was near her school when a silver-grey Toyota Corolla with no number plates approached. Two unknown men allegedly grabbed her, forcibly taking her away while leaving her brother behind and in full view of other schoolchildren.
Six days later the disturbing video surfaced, further intensifying the search for the girl and raising awareness about her abduction. The video has gone viral, prompting an outpouring of support and concern from the public.
In a poignant show of desperation, Fatima’s father spoke out for the first time during an awareness march at the weekend. With a trembling voice, he appealed to the kidnappers, saying: “Please release my Fatima. We are also humans, think about us. We are not foreigners, we are South Africans, we live here, we do everything here. We pay taxes here, we need protection.”
His heartfelt plea reflects the deep pain of a father searching for his daughter in the face of unimaginable distress.
The abduction of Fatima has sparked concern among local residents and beyond, with awareness marches continuing in the pursuit of her kidnappers.
Authorities are investigating and police urged anyone with information to come forward. The public has been asked to report any leads by calling 043-733-0089 or 043-733-0003.
TimesLIVE
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