The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State has launched an urgent appeal to the public to help locate 19-year-old Kamogelo Baukudi, a Grade 11 learner from Martie du Plessis Special School in Bloemfontein, who was kidnapped on June 5, 2025.
Baukudi was en route home with his caretaker, Daniel Malebatso, when their silver Suzuki Ertiga was stopped by a white Toyota Hilux GD-6 Double Cab — later confirmed as SAPS property equipped with blue lights and police radio equipment. Two men, one dressed in a police uniform and the other in a blue tracksuit, accused Baukudi’s vehicle of drug trafficking.
The suspects separated Baukudi from Malebatso, forcing him into the Hilux while ordering Malebatso to proceed to Park Road Police Station. A truck then cut between the vehicles, and the Hilux disappeared with Baukudi inside. Both Baukudi’s and Malebatso’s cellphones were later found discarded under a bridge on Ferreira Road.
A suspect, speaking fluent Sesotho, mentioned the name “Thipe,” a lead police are actively pursuing.
On June 8, SAPS arrested Sergeant Philemon Adoon, a 42-year-old member of the provincial anti-gang unit, linking him to the SAPS-issued Hilux used in the kidnapping. Adoon faces kidnapping and extortion charges after allegedly contacting Baukudi’s mother demanding a ransom.
He appeared in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on June 9, with the case postponed to June 13 for a bail hearing, and again to June 24 due to the need for an identification parade that cannot proceed without Baukudi.
Free State Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane vowed full accountability, stressing that any SAPS members involved in criminal acts will face justice.
Authorities urge anyone with information, including sightings of the white Toyota Hilux GD-6, to contact:
- Captain Sabata Jafta Moseme: 082 526 2713
- Lieutenant Colonel Kelaotswe Lebodi: 082 527 6348
- Lieutenant Colonel David Ramasoala: 082 027 7390
Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the MySAPS App or SAPS Crime Stop at 08600 10111. Police emphasize that any information, no matter how small, could be crucial to safely finding Kamogelo Baukudi.
