Anthea Michaels, 26, said two Grade 6 pupils from Tafelsig Primary School thought they had seen the little girl being pushed in a trolley by a man. She said the children called Shaskia’s name twice and she turned back to look at them, but the man sped off with her in the trolley.
Aqueellah Lewis, caretaker at Tafelsig Primary, said the girls had been in the school grounds at about 1pm during the lunch break when they saw a child who looked like the missing toddler. They followed the man to the back of the school and said he walked down AZ Berman Drive.
They said the little girl was dressed in a purple tracksuit with pink sleeves, her head was covered by a hoodie and she was wearing black pumps.
Lynn Phillips, from the Mitchells Plain Community Police Forum (CPF), said the forum had been informed by the family of the incident and had gone with a detective to the area, but there were no leads.
Police said there were no developments and no arrests.
Police spokesman Colonel Thembinkosi Kinana said the two men who had been taken in for questioning remained in custody.
CPF volunteers are continuing the search. “We need constant supervision in the area where the child disappeared. Our experience in the past proved to us that the child is most often found within the same road where they lived,” said Phillips.
The last confirmed sighting of Shaskia was on Thursday morning, playing outside under the care of her grandfather William Faroa, 46. He had been looking after her during the day while her grandmother, Roselyn Faroa, 47, was at work.
She was dressed in a pink polo neck T-shirt and black pump slippers.
On Monday, volunteers returned to search Freedom Park, Shaskia’s home, and surrounding areas.
Earlier in the day, MEC for Social Development Albert Fritz visited Shaskia’s family to offer support. He said he was visiting the family in his personal capacity.
Anyone with information should contact Warrant officer Charles Julies or Mitchells Plain police at 021 370 1600 or Crime Stop at 08600 10 111.
