Centurion – The families of three young police officers reported missing last week have received the devastating news they feared most. The bodies of Constables Boipelo Senoge (20), Cebekhulu Linda (24), and Keamogetswe Buys (30) have been positively identified among the five retrieved from the Hennops River in Centurion.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola confirmed the identifications during a press briefing on Tuesday evening.
“This is not how we expected this case to unfold. We were hoping for a positive outcome. Be that as it may, we are relieved that we could provide the painful closure to the families and the broader SAPS family,” Masemola said.
The breakthrough came after pieces of a VW Polo, believed to be the car the constables were travelling in, were found along the N1 highway near the river. Divers then recovered the bodies and also discovered a Renault Kangoo panel van, whose driver was also confirmed to be a police employee—an admin clerk from Lyttelton station.
So far, four of the five bodies have been identified, with one still awaiting confirmation.
Police still investigating
The constables were last seen at the Engen garage near the Grasmere toll plaza on April 23. Police say they are still searching for the missing Polo and have yet to determine whether the deaths were the result of an accident, foul play, or environmental conditions.
Earlier speculation also pointed to severe weather and flood risk in the Hennops River area, made worse by an ill-managed stormwater system.
“We don’t want to speculate at this stage… Our investigation will reveal those aspects once we find their vehicle,” Masemola noted.
Emotional closure
The families of the deceased were escorted to the local mortuary on Tuesday to identify their loved ones. The confirmation brings an emotional conclusion to a case that had captured national attention and triggered a massive search operation.
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Grim discovery in Hennops River: Could these be the missing constables?
