POPCRU mourns the fallen officers of the Hennops River tragedy

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) is grieving the confirmed deaths of Constables Keamogetswe Buys (30), Boipelo Senoge (20), and Cebekhulu Linda (24) – three officers who vanished last week while travelling from Bloemfontein to their deployment in Limpopo. Alongside the officers, search teams retrieved two additional bodies from the Hennops River on 29 April, including that of an administrative clerk from Lyttelton Police Station.

POPCRU President Thulani Ngwenya says the union’s thoughts are with the bereaved families and colleagues. “They wore the badge with pride. These were young officers with so much to offer in service to South Africa, and their loss is deeply felt. The discovery of their bodies, while heartbreaking, brings a level of closure not often afforded to many other officers who disappear in the line of duty and are never found. Our hearts also go out to the family of the police support service member whose car and, consequently, his body might not have been uncovered if it was not for the search for the three constables.”

While preliminary reports suggest recent floods may have contributed to the incident, POPCRU insists the investigation must consider every possibility before reaching conclusions. Ngwenya stresses, “Speculation only obscures the truth. Families deserve fact-based answers, and the policing community deserves lessons that will keep the next shift alive.”

The union expects that no stone will be left unturned, and anticipates investigative efforts such as an in-depth, unredacted post-mortem report, analysis of cell phone data and CCTV footage, and an expansive and ongoing search for eyewitnesses. Ngwenya also urges anyone with relevant information to step forward with the knowledge that they will be safe to do so.

Coordination worth emulating

The six-day operation involved investigators, the SAPS Drone Unit, Cybercrime and Crime-Intelligence teams, the Hawks, the Gauteng Traffic Airwing, and Bidvest Protea Coin’s Airwing. POPCRU commends this multi-agency collaboration and urges SAPS management to institutionalise such joint responses country-wide.

“Rapid inter-unit cooperation saved precious time and resources,” Ngwenya notes. “We want this professionalism replicated whenever an officer’s life is at stake – whether through missing-person alerts, assaults, or organised hits for their firearms.”

Renewed calls to safeguard police officers

POPCRU has consistently highlighted the dangers faced by law enforcement in South Africa, expressing frustration over the persistent killings of police officers, indicating that such incidents have continued largely unabated, and that SAPS management needs to implement effective measures to curb them.

“While the cause of these deaths remains unconfirmed – and speculation would be irresponsible, we must not ignore the fact that police officers are increasingly being targeted, often for their firearms, which are subsequently used in further criminal activities. This trend has led to heightened feelings of insecurity among officers, both on and off duty,” says Ngwenya.

The union also continues to urge for the classification of the killing of police officers as a treasonous act, emphasising the need for harsher penalties to deter such crimes. Ngwenya notes that the tragic incident at Hennops River is not an isolated case, but part of a broader pattern of violence against police officers in South Africa that must be addressed.

“An attack on an officer is an attack on the constitutional order itself. As we mourn Constables Buys, Senoge, and Linda, we renew our commitment to securing safer working conditions. To their families, we share your grief – no parent, sibling, or child expects a loved one to leave for duty and never return, and we offer our deepest condolences.

“We further call on the SAPS to provide psychological and emotional support to the families of the deceased, as well as to the colleagues and members affected by this tragedy. As a union, we will visit the families to offer our condolences and ensure they receive the support they need.”