Premier puts pressure on cops to find Chilean hitch-hiker’s killers

KZN acting premier Weziwe Thusi has called on the head of police, acting Provincial Commissioner General Lucky Mkhwanazi, to apprehend perpetrators of the killing of Chilean tourist, Slavko “Kako” Yaksic.

Last Saturday, after a national alert, it came to light that Yaksic’s body had been found outside Ladysmith by a passer-by and taken to its mortuary.

After going to Kruger National Park with his girlfriend, who had to return to Chile, the 28-year-old went backpacking in KwaZulu-Natal and was expected to return to Chile on October 10. When he did not arrive home, his family raised the alarm and his father, Sergio, arrived in the country last Thursday to find his missing son.

Slavko’s body was identified by his father last Saturday. It appeared he had been stabbed.

This week, Thusi said: “As government and people of KwaZulu-Natal, we find this incident tragic and deplorable that a tourist who was exploring the nooks and crannies of our province would be murdered in this manner.”

After identifying his son’s body, Sergio Yaksic said: “I’m profoundly sad but at the same time calm with a feeling that Slavko was a very happy person.

“Slavko is not dead, he is travelling in a place where he is loved and valued, knowing new cultures, new people and making people who are with him to be happy.”