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Grade 11 learner from the Martie du Plessis Special Needs School, Kamogelo Baukudi.
Safety concerns have heightened in Bloemfontein following the alleged abduction of 19-year-old Kamogelo Baukudi. Baukudi was allegedly kidnapped by two men driving a Toyota Hilux bakkie purporting to be police officers.
Free State police spokesperson Thabo Covane says that the driver of Baukudi, Daniel Malebatso, explained that after fetching him from Martie du Plessis High School, a bakkie that had two occupants inside brought him to a halt. The driver informed him that the car he was driving was suspected of delivering drugs.
“It’s reported that the suspects’ bakkie was fitted with blue lights on the grill and what looked like a police radio inside. Malebatso alleges that a truck went in-between the car he was driving and the bakkie, and he never saw the suspects again. Malebatso recalls that one of the suspects was speaking Sesotho fluently and even mentioned the name “Thipe”. The cellphones of both Malebatso and Baukudi were found under the bridge on Ferrera Road,” Covane explains.
Police have activated a search task team for Baukudi and his alleged kidnappers. His disappearance comes after the brutal murder of Olorato Mongale, who was originally from Bloemfontein, met her killers at a Freestate Mall, and was killed in Johannesburg.
The Free State Department of Education spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, has expressed shock following the incident and says they are providing the necessary psycho-social support to learners and teachers.
“We’re also concerned and we would like to make an appeal to the members of the public to assist us, to assist the police and the family, so that we bring back this boy home and back to school. We will make sure that we work with all the stakeholders to work towards bringing Bukudi back home safely.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters provincial secretary, Bosanku Msimanga has called on the community of Bloemfontein to stand up against criminality.
” It shows that criminal syndicates decided to make this place their permanent place of stay. So we need to up our game both community and the police, ensuring that we are vigilant and help each other whilst dealing properly against this kind of incident from happening and making sure that Bloemfontein becomes a safer place to stay.”
