Centurion, Gauteng – The tragic deaths of three young police constables whose bodies were recovered from the Hennops River in Centurion have gripped the nation, sparking a wave of speculation and unanswered questions. While police investigations are ongoing, the public remains divided, with many questioning the official narrative of a simple car accident. Constables Cebekhulu Linda, 24, Keamogetswe Buys, 30, and Boipelo Senoge, 20, were last seen on the morning of April 24 at a petrol station near the Grasmere Toll Plaza. They were travelling from their homes in Bloemfontein, Free State, to Limpopo in a white Volkswagen Polo hatchback when they disappeared. Following their disappearance, authorities launched a large-scale search operation involving police divers, drone units, and rescue teams. For several days, investigators scoured the N1 highway, surrounding waterways, and the Hennops River in an attempt to locate the vehicle and its occupants. The discovery of the VW Polo, the vehicle the officers were travelling in, was initially seen as a potential breakthrough in understanding the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The South African Police Services (SAPS) diving team located the car in the Hennops River, confirming it was indeed the vehicle the officers were travelling in to Limpopo, where they were dispatched. However, the discovery of the car has done little to quell public scepticism. While the discovery of the car would cement the theory that their deaths were the result of a horrific accident caused by the heavy rains and flooding in the area, the public is not convinced that the culprit is a car accident. These citizens have come up with various theories and speculations, including suspicions of foul play. They have posed questions such as how the officials’ bodies left the car and seats, as they assume their seatbelts were on when the accident occurred. Many have taken to social media to express their doubts and suspicions, questioning how the officers’ bodies could have been ejected from the vehicle if they were wearing seatbelts. “Doesn’t make sense at all how did the bodies leave the car 🚗🤔” IG:Joy-Zelda (@joy_zelda) wrote on Twitter. “I’m not buying that whole story that it was an accident. There’s more to that Hennops river case,” Sir (@sosaysmhluri) wrote on Twitter. Based on the state of the car when it was pulled out of the river, some users have expressed that they suspect that the car might have been placed in the river after sustaining substantial damage. Speaking to journalists following the recovery of the VW Polo from the river, national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola said there is no suspicion of foul play in the death of the three police constables. “We are going to undertake an investigation of the car so that we come to a conclusion as to what exactly happened, but from the look of eyes, when you see … the car looks like it capsized first before it impacted on the wall, in the barrier on the side, and then it eventually went into the water,” said Masemola. Masemola emphasised that, for now, the incident appears to be an “accident,” pending a forensic investigation. Police are investigating a case of culpable homicide, following the death of the three youthful constables. “At this stage, it looks like an accident, until we finalise and the forensics have done their thorough investigation on the car. Let the public be assured that this is what we have for now,” Masemola told reporters. “For now there is nothing sinister that we physically have seen in terms of, let’s say, being shot, bullets, nothing. But of course there are injuries. Doctors will tell us exactly when they finalise their autopsies.” Masemola has urged the public to refrain from speculating and to allow the investigation to run its course. “We can’t rule out anything, but we can’t conclusively say: ‘This is what has happened.’ Let’s give it space…For now, there’s nothing sinister that we physically have seen in terms of, let’s say, bullet shots. Of course, there are injuries, but the doctors will tell us exactly when they finalise their autopsy,” he said. In a related development, The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that a case of defeating the ends of justice has been opened against an individual in Cape Town who falsely claimed on social media to have seen the missing white VW Polo driven by three deceased police constables. “We call for responsible social reporting,” SAPS national spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said on Thursday during a media briefing at the Hennops River in Centurion. “We picked up a case on social media where an individual in Cape Town claims he saw this particular vehicle in the river.” Her remarks came shortly before police recovered the white VW Polo from the river. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a white handbag, an identity document, a vehicle service book and a set of keys. “We have registered a case of defeating the ends of justice. We are searching for this particular person because he is misleading the investigations,” Mathe said. “We are calling on South Africans to really use social media responsibly, and to report on facts.” The SAPS has strongly condemned the spread of misinformation and has urged the public to rely on official sources for accurate information. The investigation into the deaths of Constables Linda, Buys, and Senoge remains ongoing, and authorities have pledged to leave no stone unturned in their quest to uncover the truth.