Argieffoto (Foto: Tracey Adams/African News Agency/ANA)
The police in Limpopo have deployed a team of experienced investigators to track down the suspects who are believed to be responsible for the brutal murder of two tourists whose bodies were discovered in the northern part of the Kruger National Park on Friday afternoon.
Lt. Gen. Thembi Hadebe, the provincial police commissioner in Limpopo, has meanwhile pledged that “maximum resources” will be used to catch the culprits.
Brig. Hlulani Mashaba, police spokesperson, says the bodies of a 71-year-old white man and a white woman, whose identity has yet to be confirmed, were discovered on Friday at Crooks Corner near the confluence of the Levubu and Limpopo rivers.
“According to preliminary information, the couple arrived at one of the camps in the Kruger National Park on Sunday in a green Ford Ranger double cabin vehicle.
“The two were last seen at the Pafuri picnic site on Wednesday morning. When they did not return, a search was launched.”
Tourists discover bodies in river
According to Mashaba, other tourists came across the bodies floating in the river near Crooks Corner on Friday afternoon.
“The tourists discovered two bodies at Crooks Corner on the banks of the Levubu River near the junction with the Limpopo River and immediately informed the police.”
Members of the police, emergency services, SANParks and the border management authority then rushed to the scene.
Mashaba says preliminary investigations indicate that the man suffered several stab wounds to his upper body, while the woman also had serious wounds to her upper body which were presumably inflicted with a sharp object.
“The vehicle believed to have been used by the victims, a green Ford Ranger double cab, is still missing.”
Murder and kidnapping case investigated
The police are now investigating two charges of murder as well as a hijacking case.
“The circumstances of the incident are still unclear at this stage and the police are investigating the matter further,” said Mashaba.
Anyone with information that can help the investigation is requested to contact Lt. Col. Call Rodney Ndou on 082 807 2666 or 082 414 2481. Tips can also be reported anonymously to the Stop Crime number 08600 10111 or passed on via the MySAPS app.