A preliminary report into the deaths of three police constables whose bodies were recovered from the Hennops River in Pretoria in May last year has concluded that the incident was likely an accident.
According to the report, excessive speed is believed to have contributed to the crash. However, the findings have been met with resistance from the families of the deceased officers, who have rejected the conclusion.
Constables Cebekhulu Linda, Boipelo Senoge and Keamogetsoe Buys went missing while travelling from their homes in Bloemfontein to a police base in Limpopo, where two of the officers were stationed. Their bodies were later discovered in the river, prompting an extensive investigation.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola met with the families after the Police Day celebrations held at Dr Rantlai Molemela Stadium, where he briefed them on the latest developments.
Masemola stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and is not yet finalised. He said available data currently points to an accident, but acknowledged that several aspects still require further examination.
“Based on the data we have, it suggests an accident occurred. However, there are areas that still need to be investigated to support that conclusion. We cannot say conclusively that the investigation is complete,” Masemola said.
He added that while electronic data has helped track the movement of the vehicle prior to the incident, some expert reports are still outstanding.
Once all reports have been finalised and assessed, police are expected to provide a comprehensive update on the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths.