Body found floating in quarry

It is suspected that it might be the body of the missing teenager, Brave Tebogo Ngomane (16), who disappeared during a school trip over the weekend.

He was part of a group from Sibokosethu Secondary School who was travelling from Mamelodi to Nelspruit on 30 August.

Brave’s mother Zanele Monareng, told the Observer this week that she became suspicious after his cell phone went dead shortly after his disappearance.

He went missing, after the bus they were travelling in, was pulled over by highway patrol right next to the Samora Machel N4 off-ramp.

The bus driver pulled over to intervene in a fight which broke out earlier during a pit stop at Shell Ultra City.

Apparently the learners were rowdy and drunk which forced teachers to physically intervene to simmer tensions on the bus.

The commotion next to the highway attracted the attention of the highway patrol unit who stopped and searched the passengers.
Dagga and alcohol were found on the bus, spurring Brave to make a run for it.

On Thursday, a body of a man was found floating on the surface of a quarry dam about 100 metres from where Brave made his escape.

It is suspected that he wanted to hide from police behind a large embankment bordering the quarry.

It is further suspected that the deceased possibly drowned accidentally in the quarry because he was unaware that there was a deep body of water behind the embankment.

The embankment is made up of building rubble and soil, which police suspect are being used to fill the quarry.

According to Brave’s principal, teachers attempted to run after him but he was simply too fast.

Since his disappearance, mom Zanele has visited mortuaries, hospitals and police stations in and around Middelburg, but there’s been no trace of her son.

Shortly before going to print, police divers were still busy retrieving the body from the quarry.

A formal identification will be made during the post mortem investigation to be held early next week.