The family of a missing soldier, Luntu Hatta, is demanding answers from the SANDF regarding his disappearance and the way it was handled. Lance Corporal Hatta was last seen on May 30th and was marked absent during roll call the following day.
He was deployed at Lohatla in the Northern Cape and was supposed to return to his home base in the Eastern Cape on May 31st.
The family alleges that they were only officially informed of his disappearance after they contacted the Defense Force to inquire about his whereabouts.
His niece, Ncumisa Hatta, speaks for the family.
“We think the SANDF failed us as a family. Firstly, why did they leave him behind before going to PE without doing a searching for him? We want our child please because this is my uncle we are talking about, no matter the state of his mind, we love him, he is our father, our brother our uncle.”
The SANDF in a statement says it contacted the family on the second day after the disappearance of Hatta, enquiring if he made contact with them.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) stated that they followed protocol to locate the soldier after he did not report for roll call. This involved conducting searches and distributing flyers. A missing persons case was also opened with the police on the 5th of June. The SANDF stated that its human resources practitioners are in contact with the soldier’s family.
The SANDF says protocol was followed to locate the soldier once he did not report for roll call which includes searches and the distribution of flyers. A missing persons case was also opened with the police on the 5th of June. The SANDF says its human resources practitioners are also in contact with the family.
