Central SA
Missing UFS student’s body found─── OLEBOGENG MOTSE 16:44 Tue, 22 Oct 2019
The family of a 21-year-old University of the Free State (UFS) student who was reported missing in September can now close a painful chapter in their lives, as it turns out the student died the day he was last seen.
Following more than a month of searches and investigations, the body of Amkelani Nhlanhla Thwala has been found and the circumstances surrounding his untimely death are known.
The UFS says Thwala, who was studying at the university’s South Campus in Qwaqwa, died in a car accident near the Bergville Tollgate on Friday, September 6 – the day he was last seen. Due to the nature of his fatal injuries, Thwala’s body was unrecognisable and forensic testing had to be carried out to identify him. The 21-year-old was last seen in the Setsing area at around 12:00 pm, as he was heading to Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal from Phuthaditjhaba.
The UFS management has expressed their condolences to Thwala’s family and says management will continue to engage with the family regarding the support the UFS can offer. In mid-September the UFS’ Qwaqwa campus descended into chaos and had to be shut down three days before recess following protests by students who were of the view the institution was not helping in the search for Thwala. The institution vehemently denied those allegations.
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