Three suspects, including Grade 11 learner, arrested after tuckshop owner’s body found near Fouriesburg

Three men aged 18, 23 and 26 have been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of a foreign national who operated a tuckshop in Mashaeng township near Fouriesburg in the Free State. The youngest suspect is a Grade 11 learner. All three are from Mashaeng.

Police from the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Operational Crime Combatting Unit made the arrests within approximately 12 hours of the discovery of the victim’s body. The 18-year-old was arrested at his school in Mashaeng. That arrest led investigators to the two older suspects, also from the same township. During the arrests, officers recovered 27 rounds of live ammunition from one of the men.

The suspects face charges of kidnapping, murder and theft of a motor vehicle. One faces an additional charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. They were expected to appear in the Fouriesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 11 September 2026.

The body was discovered at about 09:00 on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, by a community member near Uitkyk Farm, roughly five kilometres outside Fouriesburg along the R26 road towards Ficksburg. Officers found the deceased covered with a large white recycling bag and hidden among trees in a fenced camp beside the road. The man was wearing blood-stained clothing. His sibling, who lives in Fouriesburg, later identified the body.

According to police, the victim lived alone in a rented property and ran a tuckshop in Mashaeng. His brother last saw him on Sunday, 6 September 2026, after the two attended a church service in Bethlehem. On Tuesday, 8 September, the brother became concerned when he found the man was not at home and that his white Toyota Hilux bakkie, which carried Free State registration plates, was missing. He reported the disappearance to the local police station.

Further investigation established that the stolen bakkie had allegedly been sold in Gauteng.

Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thabang Lesia praised the investigators for their swift and excellent work. He urged officers to continue enforcing the law and ensuring that those responsible for crimes are brought to justice. The investigation into the circumstances of the alleged kidnapping, murder and vehicle theft remains ongoing.

The case is being handled by Free State police. No further details on the exact cause of death or motive have been released publicly at this stage.

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Taxi crashes near African Bank in Stanger (KwaDukuza), KwaZulu-Natal

A minibus taxi was involved in a crash near an African Bank branch in Stanger (also known as KwaDukuza), KwaZulu-Natal, on the morning of 11 September 2026. Taurus Medical and Security Services responded to the scene.

Reports and images from the scene show a white Toyota Quantum minibus taxi that came to rest in a tilted/overturned position against a railing adjacent to a set of stairs in a commercial area with shops and businesses. Debris is visible around the vehicle. Members of the public gathered at the location.

Arrive Alive reported the incident under the heading “Taxi crash by African Bank,” noting that Taurus Medical and Security Services were on scene. Separate traffic and media accounts confirmed the location as by African Bank in Stanger and the presence of Taurus EMS.

At the time of the initial reports (early morning of 11 September 2026), no official confirmation of the number of occupants, injuries, fatalities, exact cause, or sequence of events had been widely released. Emergency services were attending the scene. Further details from authorities, including the South African Police Service or provincial traffic officials, were not immediately available in public updates.

Stanger/KwaDukuza is a town on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The crash occurred in a built-up commercial zone featuring shops and medical practices. The vehicle involved is a standard minibus taxi of the type commonly used for public transport in South Africa.

As with all such incidents, investigations into the circumstances typically follow standard procedures involving emergency medical response, scene clearance, and subsequent inquiries by relevant authorities. Motorists and the public in the area were advised through traffic channels of the active scene.

This account is based solely on contemporaneous reports from Arrive Alive, on-scene responder mentions, and visual documentation shared in connection with the incident. Additional official updates on casualties, vehicle condition, or contributing factors may be released as the response and investigation progress.