Interpol in Malawi to repatriate kidnapped South African girls

A South African team comprising of the Department of Social Development’s International Social Services and Interpol on Monday arrived in Malawi to repatriate a 14-year-old minor and a 20-year-old youth‚ who were allegedly abducted and trafficked to Malawi.

An unnamed Malawian woman took the siblings, who are from Mpumalanga‚ from the custody of their grandmother on the pretext of taking them to a better school in the UK before taking them to Malawi in July last year.

According to the grandmother‚ the 14-year-old had learning difficulties and the alleged abductor had offered to take the child to the UK for specialist care the grandmother could not afford.

The South African government news agency reported that preliminary investigations by the department had shown alleged physical abuse and exploitation of the children by the woman.

For months, the grandmother had no contact with the pair, but she kept hoping that the “Samaritan” who offered to take her grandchildren to a better life was looking after them.

But in October, she received a phone call from her grandson that shattered her.

He told her that he and his sister had been kidnapped.

The South African officials said in Lilongwe that the children have been found and “they are safe.”

They have arranged with their Malawians counterparts to repatriate the children back to South Africa,