Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has urged the public and media houses to respect their investigation and give them time and space to do their work in relation to the recent deaths of three police officers.
This comes as the investigations continue into the deaths of three police officers, whose bodies were retrieved from the Hennops River in Centurion, Pretoria, this week.
MinMec meeting
Mchunu was speaking at a Ministerial and Provincial Executive Council Forum (MinMec) meeting held in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, on Wednesday.
The MinMec is a national intergovernmental forum established to facilitate collaboration and consultation between the area minister and provincial MECs. In this instance, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and MECs responsible for community safety.
Mchunu said the investigating team put together is capable of unravelling what happened to the deceased police officers.
“The nation has been invested in this case, hoping for the safe return of the officers. There are a number of opinions which have been sponsored by individuals and media houses on what could have happened, what the SAPS could have done differently and also on the deployment of resources.
Commended all the teams for their work
“We are confident that the team deployed by the national commissioner worked as efficiently as they could. Hence the manner in which the investigation went.
“We wish to thank every individual and team who took part in the search and recovery efforts. Your tireless work is a testament to the unity and dedication that define our police service and emergency teams,” said Mchunu.
“This is still a developing situation and a matter of ongoing investigation. We urge members of the public and the media to respect the process and allow the SAPS and relevant authorities the space and time they need to conduct their work thoroughly and with the dignity this situation demands.”
On Tuesday, police recovered three bodies belonging to Constables Cebekhulu Linda, 24, Keamogetswe Buys, 30, and Boipelo Senoge, 20, in the Hennops River in Centurion, Pretoria.
Two other bodies recovered in the search
Police also recovered two other bodies. One of the bodies is of another police officer, an admin clerk attached to Lyttelton police station. The other body, which was decomposed, has not yet been identified.
Linda, Buys and Senoge were reported missing after they were last seen last week Thursday. They were travelling in a white VW Polo sedan from Bloemfontein to their area of deployment in Limpopo.
Their last known location was at the Engen garage near the Grasmere toll plaza on the N1. They were off duty at the time, and did not make it to their area of deployment.
Their vehicle tracking device and cellphones have been off since the day of their disappearance. Their vehicle registration number is JCL 401 FS.
Police are still searching for the white VW Polo sedan they were travelling in.
Police investigating culpable homicide
During Tuesday’s search, police also found a Renault Kangoo panel van on the banks of the Hennops River. The vehicle belongs to the deceased Lyttelton Police Station admin clerk.
National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said police are currently investigating a case of culpable homicide.
“The families were taken to the mortuary where they have identified the bodies of their children and loved ones. We are still searching for the VW Polo and our investigation is continuing.
Families brought closure
“We do not want to speculate at this stage what led to the discovery of these bodies in this river. Whether it was an accident or not. Our investigation will reveal those aspects once we find their vehicle.
“We would like to thank the families and the task team involved in the search for working tirelessly to ensure a breakthrough in this case. This is not how we expected this case to unfold. We were hoping for a positive outcome,” said Masemola.
