Pretoria - The mother of the six-year-old boy who was kidnapped during a hijacking is overjoyed after the boy was found unharmed at a shelter earlier on Monday.
Lizzie Phike said her son had been through a horrific experience after being kidnapped almost a week ago.
Aaron Phike, Mongezi's father is sill recovering in hospital after he was assaulted during the hijack and kidnapping last Tuesday evening while he and his son were travelling from Bronkhorstspruit to Delmas to collect relatives.
Lizzie said she was contacted by police officers around midnight, informing her that a boy who fitted Mongezi's description had been found in Johannesburg and they needed her to identify him.
“I was relieved when I received that call. They said they would come and pick me up, which they did and by 4am I had Mongezi in my arms again,” she said.
The Phike household was abuzz with activity as neighbours and family members converged on the Phike house to see Mongezi, singing huyms and hugging the six-year-old.
“He told us what they did to his father during the hijacking, about his father being viciously assaulted and how they left his father and drove off with him. He said he was not scared during the ordeal, the only thing he wanted was his siblings and his family,” she said.
Lizzie said Mongezi told them that the kidnappers left him at a mall on Saturday, and fled. She said he then went to the offices at that mall and spoke to a woman and told her what had happened. The woman then contacted the police who took Mongezi to Childcare.
“He said while he was at Childcare he saw his mother on the news in the evening and asked his caregiver what his mother was doing on the TV and said he wanted his mother,” she said.
The mother-of-three said she was grateful that her son was found unharmed and that she thanked God that He answered her prayers.
She also thanked the community and everyone who was involved in helping to locate her son.
Police spokeswoman, Captain Marissa van der Merwe said investigations were continuing and the search for the four suspects was still on.
Pretoria News