/ 10 May 2007

Search for Rasuge’s body goes high-tech

Radar is being used to see if police Constable Francis Rasuge’s body is below the floor of her killer’s home, North West police said on Thursday.

”Police made use of ground-penetrating radar to check for any disturbance in the floor of the garage,” said Senior Superintendent Pieter du Plessis. ”The results will be available in two days.”

Du Plessis said this was a follow-up to an inspection of the floor of William Nkuna’s home in Temba last week. It was prompted by the vision of a traditional healer.

Investigators initially looked for disturbances in the cement floor, which might indicate that it was dug up.

The traditional healer claimed Rasuge was buried in the garage, which was being used as a family room, of the double-roomed home.

Police also made use of three search dogs, none of which responded positively to indicate the presence human remains. There was no indication that Rasuge was buried there, said Du Plessis following last Friday’s search.

Rasuge was last seen alive outside a hair salon on August 27 2004 with Nkuna. He was convicted of her murder in October 2005, despite the absence of her body. — Sapa