A second body has been retrieved from an Mfuleni river as police divers continue their search for four missing youngsters who are believed to have been killed in a mob justice incident.
However, the families say neither of the two bodies are one of theirs.
Maphelo Mazamisa, 23, Asonele Wanga, 15, and 13-year-old twins were apparently killed on Saturday afternoon by a group of residents.
The youngsters were said to have been caught after a house in Extension 6 was broken into.
It is alleged that they were taken to the Covid informal settlement, beaten up and then thrown into the shallow river.
Cops found a body on Saturday evening which turned out to be an unknown older man.
“And on Sunday evening the police told us that there was a body which was found in the water near to where the boys were thrown in.
“We went to identify the body, but it was not any of them again,” says Sinsdiswa, the mom of Asonele.
“This man looks older than them and we are sure it’s not them.”
The anxious mom spent Monday with cops searching a 7km area along the river.
“We went as far as Strand beach because we were told that the river ends there.”
The mom admitted that her son was involved in criminal activities and adds: “He would always come home but he has not been home since Friday. We know that he is dead.
“A lot of people informed us about the attack and they saw him take his last breath,” she says sadly.
Meanwhile, SAPS’ Novela Potelwa says cops are now also probing the circumstances around the deaths of the two men whose bodies were found in the river.
“Mfuleni police are appealing to families with missing individuals to contact Detective Sergeant Magqaza after the recovery of two bodies of yet to be identified men from a river that runs along the Covid-19 informal settlement in Driftsands over the weekend during a search for four young men allegedly thrown into the water after an assault by a group of people in a mob justice attack,” says Potelwa.
She says cops have been scouring the area for three days but there’s been no sign of the missing youngsters.
“The three families who opened missing persons’ cases with Mfuleni police over the weekend confirmed on Monday the bodies recovered on Saturday and Sunday were not their relatives.”
She says the search will resume today.
Anyone with information can call or text Detective Sergeant Magqaza on 082 777 6898.