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Police made a grim discovery and confirmed that three of the five bodies found in the Hennops River were those of the police constables.
Missing police officers, Constable Keamogetswe Buys, Constable Boipelo Senoge and Constable Cebekhulu Linda were confirmed dead after their bodies were recovered from Centurion’s Hennops River. Pictures: Supplied.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has pleaded with the public to refrain from creating opinions, theories and wrong impressions about what could have happened to the three police constables who were found dead in the Hennops River after they went missing last week.
Mchunu was briefing the media on investigations into the deaths of the trio on Wednesday in Bela-Bela, Limpopo.
On Tuesday, police made a grim discovery and confirmed that three of the five bodies found in the Hennops River in Centurion were those of the police constables who were reported missing.
The bodies of 24-year-old Constable Cebekhulu Linda, 30-year-old Constable Keamogetswe Buys, and 20-year-old Constable Boipelo Senoge were positively identified by their families.
Police said one of the other two bodies was an admin clerk attached to the Lyttleton police station.
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With speculation rife about what could have happened to the constables, Mchunu urged people to focus on facts.
“There were a number of opinions, which have been sponsored by individuals and media houses on what could have happened. We appreciate that there have been many statements and opinions made when an incident of this nature takes place. But we are appealing to everybody to focus on facts.
“We are saying that although people have views and can share their views, the National Commissioner and team have done investigations on this and they have put the facts out in as transparent a way as possible,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu extended Saps’ heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased officers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are also with their colleagues and the broader Saps family, who have lost not only dedicated teammates, but promising young officers who still had so much more to contribute to the service and the nation.
“The loss of Constables Buys, Senoge, and Linda is not only a devastating blow to the Saps, but also a significant loss to South Africa. These were young officers who wore the badge with pride and served with courage and commitment. Their passing leaves a void that will be deeply felt.”
Mchunu added that the investigations are ongoing and urged the public and the media to respect the process and allow police and relevant authorities the space and time they need to conduct their work.
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