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South Africa is reeling after the tragic discovery of three missing police officers, whose bodies were found in the Hennops River six days after they vanished. Constables Boipelo Senoge (20), Cebekhulu Linda (24), and Keamogetswe Buys (30) were last seen leaving a petrol station near Johannesburg last Wednesday.
Their disappearance sparked a major search across three provinces. The officers had been traveling in a white VW Polo from the Free State to Limpopo when they went missing. Their phones and vehicle tracking device had been offline ever since.
Divers eventually recovered five bodies from the river near Centurion — the three officers, an unnamed police administrative clerk believed to have been driving a nearby Renault Kangoo van, and a fifth, yet-to-be-identified individual whose body was found in a decomposed state.
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed the discovery on Tuesday, but said it was too early to determine whether the deaths were accidental or linked to foul play.
“We don’t want to speculate at this stage… our investigation will reveal those aspects once we find their vehicle,” Masemola said.
Police are still searching for the missing VW Polo, which may hold key evidence.
The case initially drew speculation of a kidnapping and hijacking, and has gripped the public, with prayers and tributes flooding social media. On Tuesday, heartbroken family members and colleagues gathered at the riverbank, holding candles and mourning together.
The shift in tone from authorities has been stark. Just two days earlier, Gen Masemola issued a fiery warning:
“We cannot have criminals undermine the authority of the state by kidnapping three police officers. Either you hand yourselves over, or we will fetch you ourselves.”
As the investigation continues, South Africa is left searching not only for answers — but for justice.
