Johannesburg - The teenager girl who went missing from the Lantern School for learners with special needs in Roodepoort on Monday has been found.
Kate Spies, 15, was found roaming around Roodepoort CBD late afternoon on Wednesday.
Steve Mabona, the spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education, said some pupils spotted Kate walking in town and alerted her school.
"Subsequently, the school officials rushed to the specified area and found her. She was later reunited with her family around 6pm."
Mabona said Kate's parents would take her for a medical check up on Thursday and that the department's psycho-social unit would be offering her and her family with necessary counseling.
It remains unclear when the pupil went missing as her school bag was at school. Mabona said the school gates remained locked during school hours and it was unclear how she had managed to leave the school premises.
Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said the department was relieved that both Kate and 14-year-old Lindokuhle Masuku, a Queens High School pupil who was kidnapped this week, had been found.
In the Masuku matter, the suspects had allegedly demanded a R5m ransom from the boy's parents to ensure his safe return. They eventually dumped the teenager around the Maponya Mall area on Wednesday, where the pupil alerted security who were able to allow him to contact his parents and the police.
"We call upon the school community to always be vigilant and make sure that safety of our children is not compromised,” said Lesufi.