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Emmanuel Mabvongwe, 31, was on the brink of tears when he described the turmoil that his family had gone through this week when his daughter went missing in Kraaifontein on Monday.
Four days later, police discovered 9-year-old Privilege's body at a dumpsite close to the family home.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said the little girl was still dressed in her school uniform - a blue jersey, navy skirt and black shoes - when she was found.
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A case of murder and abduction have been opened for investigation.
Mabvongwe told News24 on Friday that the last time he saw his daughter was when the school transport picked her up.
"They fetched her here at the door. When they came back, they dropped her [in another street] because there was a truck blocking the road," he explained.
"When I came back to the house, I asked my wife where my child is. She said that the child is not back yet at 17:55. I went to my friend to borrow his car so that I can go to the transport driver. The driver said that he dropped my child off [at my house]."
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Heartbroken
He reported Privilege missing at the Kraaifontein police station.
"When we gave the police the child's details, we came back home," Mabavongwe said.
"We couldn't sleep because we were looking for the child all night. Early in the morning, the next day, I searched for her again. Then they just told me that she's dead."
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He was visibly heartbroken by the news of her death.
"It's difficult to get that news, but we had to get it. It's not easy," he said tearfully.
"They found the body close by. The police even used dogs, but they couldn't find her until Thursday. She was a good child. She liked school and doing school things."
Earlier this month, Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schafer expressed concern about the number of child abductions in August.
Her department received reports of two kidnappings in the Zonnebloem area and an attempted abduction in Rylands.
Schafer also confirmed that a Grade 9 pupil from a school in the southern suburbs had been abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted while on her way to school on August 23.
Rwexana said that a case of rape had been opened for investigation.
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