Police in Polokwane have launched an inquest following the discovery of the body of a 36-year-old woman, a member of the South African National Defence Force, who was found in a stream in the city on New Year’s Day.

Car swept away by floodwaters

Polokwane Review reports that Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, when a vehicle carrying three occupants was caught in strong, fast-flowing water after becoming stuck beneath a bridge along Grobler Street.

“Two of the occupants, including the driver, managed to escape by holding onto reeds and making their way out of the river. The third occupant, however, was swept away by the water and did not survive the incident,” says Ledwaba.

Body found kilometres downstream

A search operation was launched, involving police divers, and the woman’s body was later recovered approximately 2.5km from where the vehicle was initially trapped.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.

Meanwhile, the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has again cautioned communities about the dangers posed by overflowing rivers and streams during the rainy season, urging residents to remain vigilant during periods of heavy rainfall.

The SANDF member’s death follows the deaths of two other SANDF members whose vehicle was swept away by raging floodwaters on Christmas Day, while attempting to cross a low-lying bridge during a routine Operation Corona patrol in Mpumalanga.

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