Missing TUT student found dead in Silverton, east of Pretoria

JOHANNESBURG - A Tshwane University of Technology student who had been missing for six weeks has been found dead in Silverton, east of Pretoria.

Second-year journalism student Oratile Mothoa went missing on 7 March 2025.

His body was at a mortuary until his family identified it on Tuesday.

His loved ones confirmed to EWN that their son had taken an e-hailing ride from his campus in Soshanguve on the day, but never returned.

Mothoa’s family spent the past six weeks tirelessly searching the streets of Soshanguve, desperately hoping to find their son, who never returned to his student accommodation.

To their devastation, police informed the family that his body had been found on the N4 freeway on the day he was reported missing.

Although the scene appeared to suggest Mothoa was hit by a car, the family said police had told them that he had been dead for some time before he was supposedly run over.

His uncle, Sello Mothoa, said the family wanted answers about what led to his untimely death.

"We are hurting. We thought we’d find him alive. So, unfortunately, he was found dead. We are not okay. We are now arranging a funeral for Friday"

Police have opened a case of culpable homicide and have launched an investigation into his death.