Slavko ‘Kako’ Yaksic / Image via Facebook
Missing Chilean backpacker found dead in Ladysmith
This was confirmed by Yaksic’s father, Sergio, who had come to South Africa to search for his missing son.
Slavko ‘Kako’ Yaksic / Image via Facebook
Slavko ‘Kako’ Yaksic, the Chilean tourist who was reported missing on 25 September, has been found dead in a Ladysmith mortuary.
This was confirmed by Yaksic’s father, Sergio, who had come to South Africa to look for his son who was last seen in Dundee, north of KwaZulu-Natal. In a statement, which was first covered by IOL, Sergio confirmed that he had positively identified his son’s body at the mortuary on Saturday morning.
Yaksic’s father calls off the search
According to the father’s statement, Yaksic was found with his Chilean identity document, bank cards and driver’s license. The father said that he had no doubt about his son’s identity:
“I recognized the body in the local mortuary and after, I went to the place where his body was found and some of his belongings and identification documents I have no doubt that the body is Slavko, therefore, his search is finalised with this date.”
Captain Nqobile Gwala, the spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS), explained that DNA tests would provide closure to the matter of the man’s identity. He also confirmed that an inquest docket had been opened.
No further details regarding Yaksic’s untimely demise have been divulged by law enforcement officials.
Slavko ‘Kako’ Yaksic: details of his disappearance
The 29-year-old Yaksic arrived in South Africa in August. Joined by his girlfriend, the couple toured the country, visiting areas like the Kruger National Park. Yaksic’s girlfriend eventually returned home to Chile.
The free-spirited Yaksic decided to continue his South African sojourn by backpacking around KwaZulu-Natal. With only a small tent as his shelter, Yaksic arrived in Dundee at the end of September. According to reports published by Tours Africa, which assisted in the search for Yaksic, it’s alleged that the Chilean tourist was spotted in the region on 1 October.
While this last date of sighting has not been corroborated, eyewitness reports that Yaksic had cut his hair and beard.
Yaksic was due to return back to Chile on 10 October.
