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GEORGE NEWS AND VIDEO - Fourteen years ago, on 2 October 2004, three siblings from Maraiskamp near Parkdene vanished without a trace. At the time Simia Carolus (16), her brother Gereldo Elrenzo (10) and stepbrother André Adams (10) were on their way to Pep Stores in Nelson Mandela Boulevard to buy new school shoes. It is uncertain whether they ever reached the shop. They were never found.
When the news broke on the evening of that fateful Saturday, a widespread search was conducted by members of the crime prevention units of George, Conville and Thembalethu, reservists, crime intelligence and the community. Despite the fact that the children were never seen again, their mother, Mina Carolus, believes they are still alive.
"They are alive. I can feel they are alive," she said during an interview with the George Herald on Monday.
Woman from Blanco
Several leads were followed, including information that the children were seen in the company of a woman who resides in Blanco.
Carolus said the person who recognised her children in the company of the stranger was in school with Simia, at Parkdene High. "For days we went to search for them in Blanco, but found nothing," said Carolus. "We did find this woman who was seen with them, but she couldn't look us in the eye when we asked about the kids." According to Carolus, the police didn't find any trace of them, despite the use of sniffer dogs and forensic equipment.
Simia Carolus (16) at the time of her disappearance. This year marks her 30th birthday, on 14 June.
André Adams (10), Mina Carolus's stepson, would have celebrated his 24th birthday this year.
Gereldo Carolus (10) and his stepbrother André were both learners at Parkdene Primary at the time of their disappearance.
She retells the story as it unfolded back in 2004, when her then life partner and the father of her stepson apparently suggested that the children go shopping on their own. "He said they are getting older and will be able to manage on their own. He gave them money for the shoes and I gave them money to buy potatoes and flour on their way back," she said.
A nightmare come true
Carolus now deeply regrets this decision, as she had a nightmare the night before in which she dreamt that the kids vanished. "I didn't want them to go, but I was persuaded, and at the time I haven't given my heart to God. I didn't know the value of dreams," she said.
"When he [her life partner] came back from the clinic later that day, at about 14:00, I told him the children haven't returned yet. He went with my eldest son to look for them, but couldn't find them. That's when we notified the police."
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Carolus drove around the whole night with her youngest child, Dominik (1), on her lap, accompanying the police in the search. Apparently he cried non-stop from about half an hour after the children left the house that morning, until the next morning. "He was born a clairvoyant," said Carolus. "He knew something was amiss." Community leader Jackie Lottering remembers very well how the community assisted in the search, driving around in bakkies. People came all the way from Oudtshoorn to help.
'Hansie'
In a recent interview Carolus talks about a man from Blanco by the name of "Hansie" who came to see her at her house in Maraiskamp shortly after the children disappeared. She said he asked her for R4 000 for assistance in the case. What sparked her suspicion was that there were children sitting in the back of the vehicle, all dressed up like dolls.
"He made space for me to get in the vehicle and I told him no, I am not going to do that," said Carolus. She said this incident, together with the woman from Blanco who they believed had something to do with the disappearance, was a lot for her to process. The police did follow up this lead, but nothing came of it, she said.
Investigation
According to provincial police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie, the investigating officer, WO Petrus Damans has visited several towns following up on information surrounding allegations that were made in the past.
If anyone has information that can help solve the case, please contact Damans on 044 803 3341/2 or 063 053 542.
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