We take on one of the most dangerous misconceptions in missing persons cases in South
Africa — the so-called “24-hour rule.” Many still believe you have to wait a full day before reporting
someone missing. But the truth is: there is no waiting period. Police are legally required to open a case immediately — and those first hours can mean the difference between life and death.
Yet for many families, that urgency simply doesn’t exist in practice. We’ll be speaking to families who say they were let down in those critical early hours — told to wait, dismissed, or not taken seriously when they tried to report their loved ones missing. One of the cases we’ll reflect on is that of Nonkululeko Gabriella Ndaba, known as Gaby, who went missing in Boksburg in May 2023. Her family says there was no urgency from police when they reported her disappearance — no immediate tracing of her cellphone, no proper securing of a potential crime scene, and critical investigative steps were either delayed or ignored. Six days later, she was found dead. This conversation isn’t just about myth versus fact — it’s about accountability, trust in law enforcement, and the devastating consequences when systems fail at the very moment families need them most. Why does this myth persist? And more importantly, what happens when it shapes the response of those meant to protect us?