Bodies of 3 Zimbabweans recovered from river in Mpumalanga

Police in Elukwatini, Mpumalanga, are investigating the deaths of three Zimbabwean men whose bodies were recovered from the Nkomazi River at a local game reserve.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said SAPS divers retrieved the bodies on Friday. Preliminary reports indicate the men had no visible injuries.

"The three men were reported missing by concerned acquaintances who said they had informed them of plans to visit the game reserve but never returned," Mdhluli said. Investigators accompanied the complainants to the reserve, where officials noted that some individuals frequently enter the premises without authorization.

Postmortems are planned, and the identities of the men will be released once next of kin are notified. Acting provincial commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi has ordered a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

In an unrelated hunting incident earlier this month, Asher Watkins, a 52-year-old American millionaire, was fatally gored by a buffalo while on a safari in Limpopo. The safari company, Coernraad Vermaak Safaris, confirmed Watkins had paid R177,221 for the expedition. "While tracking the buffalo with a professional hunter and tracker, he was fatally injured in a sudden and unprovoked attack," said the safari's Hans Vermaak. The company noted that Cape buffalo are among the most dangerous animals to hunt in Africa, responsible for multiple deaths and injuries each year.