SAPS Sadly Mourns the Death of 3 Constables

(The Post News)– The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that the remains of three police officials that went missing last week on Thursday were among the five bodies that were recovered from the Hennops River in Centurion.

The three officers were deployed from Bloemfontein to Limpopo when they went missing. Additionally, reports stated that the two other male bodies are not linked to the three officers.

On Sunday, the SAPS offered a R350,000 reward for information on three constables who went missing and anyone who could be responsible for their disappearance. The decision came after the meeting between the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and deputy national commissioner for crime detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, with the team involved in the investigation.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, Masemola confirmed that the remains of Boipelo Senoge (20), Cebekhulu Linda (24), and Keamogetswe Buys (30) were located in a river after police discovered parts of the car that they were traveling with on the N1 Highway in Centurion.

Masemola noted that they searched everywhere for the three officers with hopes of finding them “safe and unharmed”; sadly, that was not the case. Masemola further stated that they first uncovered fragments of vehicle parts believed to be from a VW Polo along the N1, which led them to the riverbank, where they found a Renault Kangoo panel van.

The SAPS and Tshwane divers then launched their search expedition, discovering two bodies: one of Constable Senoge and the other of the Renault driver, who they later learned was an SAPS employee at Lyttleton Police Station.

Moreover, Masemola expressed sorrow over the discovery of all five bodies. An investigation into what led the bodies to be found at the river is ongoing, and the police stated they do not want to speculate. Furthermore, finding the car the officers traveled in will assist the police in determining if it was an accident or foul play.

The SAPS expressed gratitude to the families and task force involved in the search for their persistent efforts toward achieving a “breakthrough” in the case. Even though the outcome was unexpected, the SAPS is pleased to have been able to “provide the painful closure” to the families and the larger SAPS family.