The bodies of three missing police constables have been recovered from the Hennops River, bringing a tragic end to a week-long search that stretched across three provinces.
According to a police statement, the officers, Boipelo Senoge (20), Cebekhulu Linda (24), and Keamogetswe Buys (30) were travelling in a white VW Polo when they disappeared last Wednesday after being seen at a petrol station near Johannesburg. Their vehicle, as well as their mobile phones and tracking devices, had been off since their disappearance.
A massive search operation was launched across Gauteng, Free State, and Limpopo, with teams “spending sleepless nights combing the length and breadth” of the provinces, according to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
Earlier this week, divers recovered the bodies of the three officers along with the submerged VW Polo in the Hennops River, approximately 70km (43 miles) from where they were last seen. Nearby, a Renault Kangoo van was also discovered on the riverbank in the Centurion area.
Two additional bodies were found during the operation. One of them has been identified as a police employee who was driving the Renault van. His name has not yet been released. The fifth body remains unidentified and was found in a state of decomposition, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Initially treated as a possible hijacking, police have since shifted their theory. Speaking at the scene on Thursday, Gen Masemola stated:
“At this stage, it looks like an accident until we finalise the forensics. We need to give the investigation space. We can’t rule out anything, but we can’t conclusively say this is what happened.”
Heartbroken family members and colleagues gathered at the riverbank to mourn, some holding candles in a silent tribute to the fallen officers.
The investigation is ongoing as forensic experts work to determine the exact cause of the deaths and whether there is any link between the VW Polo and Renault van found at the scene.
