S. A: FOUR PEOPLE HAVE DIED AFTER A CAR WAS SWEPT AWAY AT AN OVERFLOWING BRIDGE IN THE MAKOTOPONG RIVER NEAR SEBAYENG.(PHOTO).

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 Four people have died after a car was swept away at an overflowing bridge in the Makotopong River near Sebayeng. Police recovered the bodies after a blue Renault Kwid carrying five occupants was pulled into the river during heavy water flow on Sunday morning, 8 March 2026. One passenger escaped from the vehicle and alerted police and emergency services. Police say the car was travelling along the Madiga–Makotopong gravel road when it overturned at the flooded bridge and was dragged into the river. The Provincial Search and Rescue team recovered the first body on Sunday. The victim was identified as Lebapa Petrus Mochitele, 27, from Madiga Village. EMS personnel declared him dead at the scene. Search operations resumed on Monday with the SAPS Water Wing Unit, EMS Search and Rescue, the Fire and Rescue Department, and an EMS helicopter. Teams located the submerged vehicle and recovered three more bodies. The victims were identified as Seobi Dikgale, 33, Betty Makokoane, 22, and Shel...

AMERICAN PASTOR ABDUCTED IN SOUTH AFRICA FREED AFTER SHOOT-OUT, 3 SUSPECTS KILLED. (PHOTO).


 American pastor abducted in South Africa freed after shoot-out, 3 suspects killed


An American missionary pastor who was abducted at gunpoint during a sermon last week in South Africa has been rescued following a dramatic police operation that left three suspects dead, authorities said on Wednesday.


Josh Sullivan, 45, was delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, just outside the coastal city of Gqeberha, when armed assailants stormed the church and kidnapped him on Thursday.


According to a statement from the South African Police Service (SAPS), officers acted on a tip-off and tracked the suspects to a house in the KwaMagxaki district of Gqeberha on Tuesday.


As police approached the property, the suspects attempted to flee in a vehicle and opened fire on the officers.


“During the ensuing shoot-out, three suspects were fatally wounded,” the statement said. Sullivan was found inside the vehicle and rescued “miraculously unharmed.”


Sullivan, originally from Tennessee, moved to South Africa with his family in November 2018, according to his personal website, to serve as a missionary pastor and community outreach leader.


News of his safe return has sparked relief and praise for the swift action of South African law enforcement. However, the incident also shines a light on the country’s growing kidnapping crisis.


Police data shows that over 17,000 kidnappings were recorded in the 2023/2024 financial year—an 11 percent increase from the previous year.


The motive behind the abduction remains under investigation, and authorities have not ruled out the involvement of organized crime.


Sullivan is currently under medical observation and is expected to be reunited with his family soon.

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