Police are intensifying the search for a missing SAPS vehicle believed to hold crucial answers after the bodies of three constables were found in the Hennops River.

The national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, said in a press briefing on Wednesday that their investigation will reveal whether it was an accident or not.

“We don’t 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.”

By Wednesday afternoon, police could not yet confirm whether or not the VW Polo was found.

The three police constables, 30-year-old Keamogetswe Buys, 20-year-old Constable Boipelo Senoge, and 24-year-old Cebekhulu Linda, disappeared last Wednesday while travelling from Bloemfontein to their deployment area in Limpopo.

Shortly after their disappearance, Masemola announced an R350 000 reward for information that could lead to the missing police officers being found.

Masemola said a high-level task team worked tirelessly, scouring Gauteng, Free State, and Limpopo for the missing officers.

Following leads, the investigation traced a route from the Grasmere Toll Plaza on the N1, through the Buccleuch interchange, and onto John Voster Drive.

On Monday, April 28, the search led police to the Hennops River in Centurion, where they found debris believed to be from the VW Polo in which the officers had last been seen.

This discovery pointed investigators to a Renault Kangoo panel van.

Police divers, alongside Tshwane metro officers, began searching the river. Two bodies were recovered that day—one belonging to the driver of the Renault van, an employee of the Lyttelton Police Station, and the second identified as Constable Boipelo Senoge.

The search was called off at nightfall.

On Tuesday, April 29, divers recovered a third body believed to be Constable Cebekhulu Linda, followed by a fourth, unidentified decomposed body. Later that afternoon, a fifth body was recovered and identified as Constable Keamogetswe Buys.

Masemola did not comment on the cause of death, stating police would not speculate while investigations continue. He thanked the families and the search teams, saying: “This is not how we hoped the case would end, but we are relieved to provide some painful closure to the families and the SAPS.”

Also read: Three bodies discovered near Hennops River in search for missing police officers

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