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Police make gruesome find after bystanders hear haunting night-time cries at Swartkops River

Police make gruesome find after bystanders hear haunting night-time cries at Swartkops River
Estelle Ellis
By Estelle Ellis
29 Aug 2024
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Police have asked the public to help identify two men who drowned in Nelson Mandela Bay’s Swartkops River after they were thrown in the water with their hands and feet tied. The gruesome double murder has triggered a fresh wave of calls for decisive and forceful action against criminals in Nelson Mandela Bay. Civil society has asked the President to declare a State of Emergency in the metro.

In a haunting video taken by a bystander around 7.30 on Wednesday night, while a group of men tried to help, the cries of a drowning man, one of two who was thrown in the river with their hands and feet tied, are heard. 

Police officers rushed to get one man out of the water, but he died shortly afterwards in an ambulance. Another man was also found in the water, but he was already dead. Both had their hands and feet tied. Neither had identification documents on them. Police said the men were both foreigners. 

On Thursday, the police asked for the community’s help in identifying the pair. 

“On arrival, the police officers noticed two men floating in the water.  Without hesitation [and] with the assistance of a member from the public, they swam and safely brought out one victim to the shore. The member returned for the second victim, and once they were on the shore they attempted CPR but the man passed away. The other victim was rushed to hospital, but also passed away while on route,” Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said.

“Both the victims’ hands and feet were tied with cable ties. Circumstances surrounding the incident form part of the investigation. The victims are both foreigners and are unknown. Two counts of murder were opened for further investigation,” she said.

The gruesome discovery triggered calls for fast and decisive action against criminals.

Calls for State of Emergency


The metro is presently on the sixth day of an extensive power outage that left a third of the city in darkness. Storm winds also caused further unplanned outages. Thousands of streetlights are also not working, leaving the metro’s roads in darkness.

Police patrols have been boosted in areas where power is down.

Despite the crisis, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Gary van Niekerk are visiting China.

Also on Wednesday, Nelson Mandela Bay Ward 19 Councillor Gamalihleli Maqula, from the ANC, was shot in the leg during a robbery in the city.

Read more: High-ranking cops sent to Nelson Mandela Bay as bloodbath continues

The South African Human Rights Commission monitor, Christian Martin, who lives in Gqeberha, has called for a State of Emergency in Nelson Mandela Bay and for a curfew to be imposed. 

“The escalating violence and disorder in our metro cannot be ignored any longer. The recent surge in crime, including hijackings, robbing of churches, kidnappings, gang violence, construction mafia crimes and destructive service delivery protests, has created an environment of fear and lawlessness in our community.

“We have witnessed a series of violent incidents, including armed robberies at schools, businesses and public places, as well as the vandalism of public and government property. The safety and security of our residents are at stake, and we urge our government to take immediate and urgent action to address this crisis.

“By declaring a State of Emergency through an Act of Parliament, we can mobilise all necessary state security forces to combat the increasing crime and lawlessness that have taken over our community. We urge President Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier Oscar Mabuyane to consider our plea and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the citizens of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

“We have also reached out to the South African Human Rights Commission to intervene and address the violations of our rights as citizens. We cannot continue to live in fear and under threat of violence. It is time for the authorities to take decisive action and restore peace and order to our Metro.”

Read more: Hundreds of crime victims and community leaders turn up to speak to Minister Mchunu

Appeal for urgent intervention


The Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition, a group of organisations and individuals in the metro that includes the SA NGO Coalition (Sangoco); SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco); church groups including the SA Council of Churches, (SACC), Transitional Christian Network and Motherwell Ministers Fraternal; the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber; traditional leaders, the labour federation Cosatu, youth organisations and Professor Barney Pityana, advocate Vusi Pikoli, Professor Mcebisi Ndletyana and Dr Thozamile Botha also called for urgent intervention by the police.

“This metro used to be one of the safer metros in the country but due to the systematic breakdown of law and order enforcement, this has become an exceptionally dangerous place for its citizens and communities.

“The alarming crime statistics, which include high levels of brutal shootings, robberies, hijackings, kidnappings, cybercrimes and vandalism of public and private infrastructure cannot continue to proceed unabated.

“These crimes have severe consequences upon the safety and security of people, especially vulnerable communities and have serious economic ramifications in terms of the retention of much-needed investment and employment in our metro, which is in a province which now has more people unemployed than employed. In fact, the Eastern Cape is officially in recession with Nelson Mandela Bay as the biggest metro severely impacted,” they said in a letter.

They have asked for a State of Disaster to be declared with a Safety and Security Task Force to be established.

“This should be resourced with skilled people who are able to develop and implement a high-impact safety and security action plan which will significantly reduce crime levels,” the letter continues.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed last week that an additional 301 police officers would be deployed to Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The National Commissioner says every year that the Eastern Cape must be prioritised when it comes to officers who are newly trained because of high levels of crime. It is a concern to the police management that for the past 10 years the Eastern Cape has been one of the three provinces with the highest murder rate.” 

Yusuf Cassim, from the Democratic Alliance, said these officers were not “additional” but part of the annual deployment plan. Mathe, however, insisted that it was a separate deployment. DM

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