Tuesday, 29 April 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) extends its condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of Linda Cebekhulu (24), Boipelo Senoge (24), and Keamogetswe Buys (30)—three South African Police Service (SAPS) members whose lives were tragically cut short and whose bodies, along with two civilians, were recently recovered from the Hennops River in Gauteng.

According to reports, the trio had left Bloemfontein for Limpopo on Wednesday evening last week and were last seen alive at that time. They were returning to their work base after visiting family in the Free State. That these young public servants met such a horrific and unexplained end is tragic.

We commend the rescue and investigation teams who worked tirelessly to recover the five bodies, utilising drone technology and enduring challenging conditions to bring the remains home. In addition to the three SAPS members identified, two other bodies were also recovered from the Hennops River. The fourth body has now been identified as that of a male administrator from the Lyttelton Police Station while the fifth body, which was found in a state of decomposition, has not yet been identified.

This development is deeply concerning. The presence of multiple bodies in one river system, within a short time frame and geographic radius, suggests a broader and possibly coordinated pattern of violence that demands urgent and thorough investigation.The EFF urges authorities to work with urgency to identify the last individual and notify their family. No family should have to endure uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones, and every life lost deserves dignity, justice, and closure.

The EFF calls for a full and transparent investigation into the deaths of these SAPS officers and civilians. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola must provide answers, not only to the families, but to the public, about what happened, why, and who must be held accountable. The country deserves to know whether these are isolated incidents or something far more criminal and sinister.

May the souls of the departed rest in revolutionary peace. We hold their loved ones in our thoughts and remain committed to demanding answers and justice in their names.

ISSUED BY THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Leigh-Ann Mathys (National Spokesperson) 082 304 7572

Thato Lebyane (Media Enquiries) 078 304 7572