Murder probe opened after bodies of two teens found at Sabie lodge
Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 11:23 a.m. | By AFP Mpumalanga police are now investigating murder after postmortem results raised concerns over the deaths of two…
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Updated Aug. 7, 2026, 11:23 a.m. | By AFP
Mpumalanga police are now investigating murder after postmortem results raised concerns over the deaths of two teenagers whose bodies were found at a lodge in Sabie earlier this week.
Police in Mpumalanga confirmed on Friday that they are now investigating a case of murder following the deaths of two teenagers at a lodge in Sabie.
The bodies of Ethan Coetzee, who matriculated from St Stithians College in Johannesburg in 2025, and Cameron Waldeck-Cooks, a Grade 11 pupil at the same school, were found on Monday.
Provincial police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said an inquest docket was initially opened.
However, following postmortem results, a case of murder was added.
“The postmortem results suggest that the 17-year-old female may have been strangled, while the 19-year-old male may have taken his own life,” Masondo said.
“The investigation is still continuing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident,” he added.
In a statement on its Facebook page earlier this week, St Stithians Girls’ College paid tribute to Waldeck-Cooks, saying she had been part of the school community since Grade R in 2015.
"Cameron will be remembered for her kindness, warmth and determination. She approached life with resilience, quiet strength and a genuine care for those around her," the school said.
St Stithians Boys’ College also paid tribute to Coetzee, describing him as a young man of strength, commitment and humility.
He was remembered as a talented sportsman who represented the school’s first-team rugby squad.
"Whether in the classroom, on the rugby field, in equestrian sport, or in service to others, he approached his passions with great enthusiasm,” the school said.
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