Deputy National Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya Says Speeding Caused 3 Officers’ Deaths

• A senior South African Police Service officer said the three constables who died may have been killed by speeding on the road
• The constables were found at the Hennops River in Tshwane on 29 April 2025, six days after they disappeared
• The Deputy National police commissioner of Investigations, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, said the car was speeding in the rain
• Arrive Alive CEO Advocate Johan Jonck spoke to Briefly News about the accident

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

JOHANNESBURG— The South African Police Service (SAPS) Deputy National Commissioner of Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, suspects that the three constables who disappeared on 23 April 2025 and were found dead six days later died from an accident caused by speeding.

What did Shadrack Sibiya say?

According to eNCA, Sibiya on 3 May said the three constables, Keamogetswe Buys, Boipelo Senoge and Linda Cebekhulu did not die under suspicious circumstances. He dismissed conspiracy theories surrounding the deaths of the three officers.

Sibiya dismissed claims that they may have been killed because they were investigating a particular crime. The top cop said the trio were part of Operation Vala Umgodi. He said, however, that there was evidence that they were driving recklessly.

"We do have evidence that shows that they travelled late from Bloemfontein (in the Free State) and they were travelling fast. It was raining," he said.

Sibiya also said that the driver of a Nissan NP300, who was driving behind them, informed the police that they drove past him at high speed. The driver followed them, and after seeing that they were not harmed, he left. They were junior members and part of a team, and he emphasised that there was no foul play involved. He cautioned South Africans to stop inventing conspiracy theories.

Sibiya said the police followed their trail from Heidedal until the last point where the signal was lost. Two bodies were found 500 metres from where they fell, and two more bodies were found a few kilometres down the river.

Arrive Alive speaks to Briefly News

Speaking to Briefly News, Arrive Alive's CEO Advocate Johan Jonck weighed in on police officers' responsibility to drive carefully.

"The police should always be at the forefront of guidance on safety, and this includes setting an example of professional behaviours at all times and in all circumstances. It is worth noting as well that this was a late-night/ early morning incident, so other factors might be at play as well, such as swerving to avoid an animal, a pedestrian or an object on the surface of the road," he said.

What you need to know about the constables' case

• The police discovered the bodies of the three officers in the Hennops River on 29 April
• Two more bodies were found in the Hennops River, and the body count rose to five
• The police also recovered parts of the vehicles on the same day while searching the river
• On 1 May, the men and women in blue's diving teams found the remainder of the car
• One of the victim's fathers spoke out and said that he was relieved that the car they had travelled in was found

Family members fetched the officers' bodies

In a related article, Briefly News reported that relatives of the three officers were in Gauteng on 4 May to fetch the bodies of the officers. The South African POlice Service announced that they would receive official funerals.

The officers will be buried in three separate funerals. A joint memorial service will be held in their honour in Bloemfontein, Free State.

Source: Briefly News