‘Runaway’ besties found at GrandWest four days later
Illustration: Two best friends have been reunited with their families. Chelsey Koopman and Rihanna Julies were reported missing in November after they were dropped off at Grand West.
Image: File
Two inseparable 16-year-old girls who told their families they were heading out but later mysteriously disappeared were found at the last place they were dropped off – four days later.
Besties Chelsey Koopman and Rihanna Julies, who have been joined at the hip since primary school, were reported missing on Monday after leaving Rihanna’s home left the house on Saturday to go to GrandWest.
Rihanna’s father Mervin Watt told the Cape Argus' sister newspaper, the Daily Voice that he hadn’t heard anything from the minors since Sunday after they left the house on Saturday for GrandWest.
He explained they would stay out for a night and come back the next day. However, this time they have been gone from home for four days.
At the time, Watt said: “I don’t know if this could be labelled as a missing person, these are runaways.
“I don’t know where this child is. I don’t want to think the worst, but I think they are bluntly naughty. I don’t know if they are involved with the wrong friends as these young girls can fall into a trap so easily, but there is no reason for them to run away because they have everything.”
The Cape Argus' sister newspaper. the Daily Voice reached out to Chelsey’s mom, however she declined to give a comment.
But at around 7pm on Tuesday, Watt said that the girls had been found.
He said: “They called Chelsey’s mother, because my daughter didn’t have a phone saying that they are at the back of GrandWest. I don’t know how they got there, I didn’t ask them.
“I was very emotional when I saw her. I started crying because my daughter is back. I am glad that my daughter is back.”
He added that the girls were fine.
Missing post of Chelsey Koopman.
Image: Supplied
Their disappearance mobilised activists, with Carlton April of Leadership in Motion Project member saying that the organisation had been working with the Pink Ladies to gather leads on their whereabouts.
According to reports, a few eyewitnesses said they spotted the girls in Elsies River and Bellville South, while they were allegedly also seen on Voortrekker Road and Halt Road.
April explained: “After GrandWest, they ended up near a graveyard and then someone picked them up. That was on Saturday evening.
“On Monday, we went to one of the guys that they were seen with on Sunday at the racing in Bellville South. There was another girl that was with him, he said that they were with him on Sunday.
“In the early hours of the morning on Monday they were dropped off at a lady’s house around 2am.
Missing poster of Rihanna Julies.
Image: Supplied
“The ouma (grandmother) of that girl said they were going to give them a place to sleep, but Chelsey and Rihanna felt like they couldn’t be there, so they left.
“Around 4am, they were in Halt Road in Elsies River as they were waiting for someone to fetch them, but that person took too long.”
He added that the teenagers were also spotted in 18th Avenue in Elsies River and that someone had booked them an e-hailing ride.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that a missing persons case was opened.
He said: “The persons mentioned in your enquiry went missing on Saturday, November 29, 2025. They were only reported missing on Monday, December 1 2025, by their relatives.”
Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.
Cape Argus