Police have launched a murder and hijacking investigation after the bodies of an elderly couple were found in the Levubu River in the northern section of the Kruger National Park, officials said.
The victims, Dina Marais (73) and Ernst Marais (71) from Mossel Bay, were last seen on Wednesday morning, 20 May, at the Pafuri picnic site. When they failed to return to their accommodation, a search operation was initiated by park authorities and law enforcement agencies.
On Friday afternoon, tourists alerted officials after spotting two bodies floating in the Levubu River near Crooks Corner. The bodies were later recovered by authorities.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe said post-mortem observations indicated that both victims had been violently attacked.
“The male victim sustained stab wounds to the upper body, while the female victim also suffered severe upper-body injuries, allegedly inflicted with a sharp object,” she said.
Police confirmed that the couple’s vehicle, a green Ford Ranger double cab, is missing, and that cases of murder and hijacking have been opened.
South African National Parks (SANParks) spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli described the incident as unprecedented in the park’s century-long history. He said surveillance systems had recorded the couple’s presence in the park prior to their disappearance, but no further trace of their vehicle had been detected since Wednesday.
Authorities say investigations are continuing, with SANParks and the South African Police Service working jointly as the search for suspects and the missing vehicle continues.