Snothando Myeni went missing after completing her first day at Everest Heights Primary School in Verulam on Wednesday.
Her aunt, Zanele Myeni, said Snothando could not see the taxi that was supposed to take her home and decided to walk home.
Myeni said she got lost and wandered in the wrong direction.
A roadside vendor, who did not want to be named, said a vagabond was walking around with Snothando asking people if they knew where she lived.
The vendor advised the vagabond to take her to the ward councillor’s office in the nearby Redcliffe Valley View informal settlement.
Mavis Ngcobo, 62, who assists with a soup kitchen from home in the informal settlement, said the vagabond was alerted to Snothando’s presence by the hooting of cars and trucks warning her to keep off Todd Street.
“He grabbed hold of her and took her to safety. When he asked her where she lived, she could only point out a place in the distance. He walked with her through two or three suburbs before coming to me,” said Ngcobo, a mother of four.
Ngcobo took Snothando into her home. She bathed her, gave her a dress, washed her school clothes, fed her and let her play with her grandchildren.
“She only knew her parents as Mommy and Daddy. She just pointed in a random direction when we asked her where she lived. The vagabond was going to keep trying elsewhere, but I was concerned for her safety so I told him to leave her with me,” Ngcobo said.
Sifiso Ngcobo, her son, began circulating the details of the girl on WhatsApp groups in the suburb and on Facebook.
Mavis Ngcobo said the parents read the posts and contacted her late that night.
“I love children and it is my dream to open a crèche and a frail care centre here in the settlement. Maybe the child was a blessing and would open up doors for me financially,” Ngcobo said.
Snothando’s grandmother, Nokuthula Myeni, on Thursday told the Daily News that the taxi driver who was supposed to fetch her granddaughter from school reported to the family that she was missing at 3pm.
“I prayed that she would be safe. I was so emotional. Her mother, Thembeka, posted a picture of her on Facebook. We were elated to find out she was alive and well.
“Being so late we did not have transport to fetch her,” Myeni said.
Prem Balram, of private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said when he heard the girl was found and the family did not have transport he sent his vehicle to take them to Redcliffe.
“When a child is involved, the incident tugs at your heart. Social media plays a role and we are happy to assist the community in their time of need.
“This was the second case reported to Rusa about a missing child.
“Another child had mistakenly got into the wrong transport vehicle and was found shortly afterwards,” Balram said.
Daily News