Actor reported missing after leaving home for a check-up in Bloemfontein

Actor and theatre practitioner Peso Pheko has been reported missing after leaving his home last Wednesday for a regular check-up at a hospital in Bloemfontein, but has not returned.

“It’s a conundrum. We keep getting calls from people with information but when we follow it up, it leads to nothing,” Free State Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli told The Citizen.

The 37-year-old Pheko was last seen by his family leaving their house at L-Section in Botshabelo to board public transport to Bloemfontein for his hospital appointment and he has since not returned home.

“The case was opened the following day [11 July] by a family after they realised he had not returned home and his phone was off,” Kareli said.

According to Kareli this wasn’t Pheko’s first visit to the hospital in Bloemfontein.

“It was not his first appointment at the hospital. He was there for a check-up on a shoulder injury of some sort.”

According to the police statement the actor was wearing a long green bomber jacket, a black pair of jeans, black sneakers and a grey beanie on his head.

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The actor

Pheko was introduced to the arts more than 20 years ago when he auditioned for Sarafina whilst in high school and he impressed the judges.

He went on to perform in productions such as The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Moshoeshoe.

Pheko worked as one of the production managers and screenwriters for the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening and closing ceremonies.

He was part of the team behind the championship mascot Zakumi.

“When I was young, community drama competitions were common, but now gangsterism and alcohol abuse dominate the lives of young people. I’m tapping into this space to say, we need to change this,” he said in a 2019 interview.

The thespian has a commitment to community art development through his Botshabelo Arts, Culture and Heritage (Bach) Centre and Legacy Kiddies Village, which teaches children as young as three the art of puppetry, oral storytelling, dance, music and drama.

Bach is the first shack theatre in the Free State Province.

The police has asked that anyone with information on Pheko’s whereabouts to contact Captain Sego of the Provincial Organised Crime Unit at 078 184 9105 or 051 507 6622 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or leave an anonymous tip on the MySAPS App.

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