JOURNALIST Junior Bonase was found dead on the side of the road on Tuesday night.
The 41-year-old worked for Dumelang Media and the local Tharollo newspaper in Mangaung.
A passerby found his body on the N1 highway in Heuningspruit, near Kroonstad. It is not yet known how Junior died.
His brother Mohau Leine (40) said: “I last saw Junior on Tuesday when he left to attend a meeting in Parys. I was shocked when I received a call from the police at 2am on Wednesday telling me they had found his body.
“When I went to identify his body, he had terrible injuries to his face. He was the breadwinner and a very supportive man.”
Free State Media spokesman Khayalethu Mantsantsa said Junior had recently been elected chairman of the organisation.
“We are extremely shocked by this terrible incident and we hope the authorities will be able to get to the bottom of it.”
Dumelang Media director O’Neil Nair said Junior was an award-winning journalist.
“His death has sent shock waves through the community.”
Police spokeswoman Colonel Thandi Mbambo said the cause of death was unknown and a culpable homicide case was being investigated. He said a post mortem would be conducted.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Moeketsi Sempe sent his condolences to the family.
“We have good relations with journalists in the Free State as they support our initiatives in the fight against crime,” he said.
“We are saddened by the loss of such a committed journalist and will work tirelessly to uncover his cause of death.”