POLICE have found the body of Thabo Tshabalala in a Free State river more than a month after he was reported to have been kidnapped and robbed.
He went missing on May 29 after his house was broken into and items stolen.
Tshabalala's decomposed body was found at the Liebenbergsvlei River at 10am.
Police spokesperson sergeant Majang Mosupa said divers from Bloemfontein and Welkom recovered the body after a search that resumed on Wednesday.
Tshabalala, who ran a catering business, was reportedly kidnapped by three men - Thuso Mokoena, Lesole Makatsa and Botle Ntsane - at his house.
Two of the suspects were allegedly arrested in Tshabalala's car in Clarens, seemingly en route to Lesotho.
Two female suspects - Ntsantsa Lettia Sefako and Chopo Manana Justinah - were arrested for possession of stolen goods, including a television set, music sound system, DVD player and digital camera, believed to have belonged to Tshabalala.
"The water current had been very strong caused by a valve from the Katse Dam in Lesotho," Mosupa said. "We had been communicating with our counterparts in that country with a view to closing the tap on that side. They told us they were working on fixing the problem.
"Finally, they managed to fix the tap and the divers managed to go into the river and recovered the body."
She said she was glad that they had finally managed to recover the body and hoped Tshabalala's family would get closure.
Mokoena, Makatsa and Ntsane had since been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and robbing Tshabalala.
Mosupa said a murder charge had now been added.
The suspects will appear in the Phuthaditjhaba magistrate's court on August 22.
Cops recover body after 5 weeks
POLICE have found the body of Thabo Tshabalala in a Free State river more than a month after he was reported to have been kidnapped and robbed.
He went missing on May 29 after his house was broken into and items stolen.
Tshabalala's decomposed body was found at the Liebenbergsvlei River at 10am.
Police spokesperson sergeant Majang Mosupa said divers from Bloemfontein and Welkom recovered the body after a search that resumed on Wednesday.
Tshabalala, who ran a catering business, was reportedly kidnapped by three men - Thuso Mokoena, Lesole Makatsa and Botle Ntsane - at his house.
Two of the suspects were allegedly arrested in Tshabalala's car in Clarens, seemingly en route to Lesotho.
Two female suspects - Ntsantsa Lettia Sefako and Chopo Manana Justinah - were arrested for possession of stolen goods, including a television set, music sound system, DVD player and digital camera, believed to have belonged to Tshabalala.
"The water current had been very strong caused by a valve from the Katse Dam in Lesotho," Mosupa said. "We had been communicating with our counterparts in that country with a view to closing the tap on that side. They told us they were working on fixing the problem.
"Finally, they managed to fix the tap and the divers managed to go into the river and recovered the body."
She said she was glad that they had finally managed to recover the body and hoped Tshabalala's family would get closure.
Mokoena, Makatsa and Ntsane had since been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and robbing Tshabalala.
Mosupa said a murder charge had now been added.
The suspects will appear in the Phuthaditjhaba magistrate's court on August 22.
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