Latest news with #Mathipa
Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Eyewitness News
NPA confirms 12 murder-accused SANDF members facing two other counts of murder
Nokukhanya Mntambo 2 July 2025 | 6:52 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Murder SANDF army defence force soldiers JOHANNESBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed that the 12 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members charged with the 2023 murder of a Hawks' investigator are also facing two other counts of murder. Frans Mathipa was shot in the head on the N1 near Hammanskraal, while probing claims that some members of the SANDF special forces were behind the abduction of two foreign nationals at the Mall of Africa. The group appeared before the Randburg Magistrates Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday, where new details about the case emerged. At the time of his murder, Hawks investigator Mathipa had applied for a Section 205 subpoena to get classified documents that could shed some light on the 2022 kidnapping. According to Open Secrets, on or before the deadline for the SANDF to respond to the application, Mathipa and army officials had agreed to halt the process while they negotiated access to the requested information. The SANDF maintains that the operatives were at the Mall of Africa on 29 December 2022, for a training exercise and that the abduction of an alleged ISIS associate and his bodyguard was a coincidence. While it was never confirmed at the time, the NPA's spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane, said the kidnapped men may have also been killed by the special forces. 'I can just give a hint to say that we'll be relying on the case of Francis Rasuge in proving the other two murder charges, that's as far as we can go.' The 12 accused are set to be back in court for a continuation of their bail hearing on Thursday. The SANDF has consistently denied claims that the special forces unit is rogue, adding that claims of torture, illegal arrests, and murder are untrue. Already in the dock for the 2023 murder of Hawks investigator Frans Mathipa - NPA GP spox Phindi Mjonondwane has confirmed 2 more murder charges for the 12 SANDF special forces linked to the disappearance of an ISIS associate and his bodyguard taken from the Mall of Africa. — EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) July 1, 2025
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Will they get bail? 12 SANDF members in court over murder of Hawks investigator Frans Mathipa
When Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa was shot dead in 2023, he was probing allegations that members of the SANDF Special Forces had abducted an Ethiopian businessman and suspected ISIS leader from the Mall of Africa. Image: SAPS The Randburg Magistrate's Court in Johannesburg is set to hear the bail application of 12 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) implicated in the brutal murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa - a specialist investigator at the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks. The 12 SANDF members are facing serious charges of murder and kidnapping after Mathipa was shot dead while travelling on the N1 near Hammanskraal in August 2023. The accused SANDF members were arrested in June. IOL previously reported that some of the soldiers were arrested at different places, including the OR Tambo International Airport and Centurion in Tshwane. Following the arrests, spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo, stated that the arrests were carried out by members of the Johannesburg-based Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the headquarters' Serious Organised Crime Investigation, and the Tactical Operations Management Section (Toms). 'The arrests are linked to the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, who was fatally shot while driving on the N1 highway near Hammanskraal on August 6, 2023. Following the shooting, his vehicle lost control and veered into a ditch,' Singo said. Mathipa, who was attached to the Hawks' Crimes Against the State Unit within the Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Gauteng, was on duty conducting an investigation at the time of his death. Singo said a vehicle seized has also been linked to a separate crime. 'During the operation, police also seized a vehicle belonging to the 36-year-old suspect. The vehicle is alleged to have been used in the kidnapping of two male foreign nationals at a mall in Midrand on December 29, 2022. It has since been impounded for further forensic investigation,' Singo said. According to reports, at the time of his death, Mathipa was probing allegations that members of the SANDF Special Forces unit abducted an Ethiopian businessman and suspected ISIS leader from the Mall of Africa in Midrand in 2022. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. [email protected] IOL News
Daily Maverick
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Russian Doll revisited: Will the SANDF's ‘dirty dozen' expose the top brass?
The assassination of top Hawks official Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa seemed destined, until this week, to remain a cold case – another high-profile murder that is politically simply too hot to handle. This underscores the magnitude of the breakthrough in the case, led by Hawks investigators, that has culminated this week in a prosecution process targeting 12 SANDF officials. They stand charged with the murder of Mathipa, two other unnamed individuals and numerous other crimes. In a country so accustomed to rough justice, we have come to expect state institutions to be either unable or unwilling to hold the very powerful to account. From apartheid killers to State Capture titans and any number of criminals embedded in the country's political and economic elite, impunity has the risk of becoming systemic. With the case against 12 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officials arrested for the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, we have an opportunity to change that. The crimes Open Secrets' four-part Russian Doll investigation, published by Daily Maverick in 2023, highlights a harrowing tale which links members of South Africa's elite Special Forces to the assassination of Frans Mathipa as well as to separate instances of torture of civilians and possibly at least one other murder. Open Secrets exists to investigate the economic crimes of the powerful, focused on private actors. However, when we started an investigation of possible sanctions busting involving the Lady R vessel, we uncovered a much broader network of abuse and criminal activity involving the SANDF. We crossed lines in terms of our mandate because it is in the public interest to do so. While every one of these alleged crimes is significant, the murder of Mathipa demands our attention because members of an elite unit within the SANDF stand accused of turning their guns on a top cop. It represents a breakdown of the constitutional order and the rule of law. When officers in uniform kill one another with the intention of covering up other crimes, it is only logical to assume that they will turn their guns and the power of the state against civilians. What the Open Secrets investigation has shown is a pattern of abuse of power within the SANDF involving multiple units, including Special Forces, Defence Intelligence, the Military Police and Defence Legal Services. We have linked at least one Special Forces officer whom Mathipa was investigating for the abduction of two civilians from the Mall of Africa – Colonel Sunnybooi Pinny Wambi – to allegations of torture and even murder. One of the people who has been the focus of ongoing investigations by the Hawks has been described to us by a senior law enforcement official as being akin to notorious apartheid political assassin Eugene de Kock. It suggests we are now mimicking the very worst violence of the late apartheid state when death squads prowled the streets. All this begs the question of whether their activities might have extended to other assassinations? Might some of these have been political in nature, involving internal party squabbles, political dirty tricks or money heists to shore up funds for election campaigns? While we do not currently have the answer to these questions, the prosecution of the SANDF's 'dirty dozen' might open a can of worms that many powerful people would wish remained secret. The cover-up Following the publication of the Russian Doll investigation in Daily Maverick and an exposé by Carte Blanche based on the same investigation, the Chief of the SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya called a rambling press conference in December 2023 at which he accused Open Secrets and Daily Maverick of fabricating stories and the prosecutable offence 'an act of defeating the ends of justice'. However, at the same press conference, Chief of Defence Intelligence Major General Thalita Mxakato confirmed the existence of a 2023 internal SANDF board of inquiry report that examined allegations by concerned SANDF whistle-blowers of corruption and abuse of power, including torture within the SANDF. Open Secrets had made public the existence of this report, compiled by Brigadier General Moorhouse, as part of our investigation (the 'Morehouse Report'). We submitted access to information requests to the Department of Defence for a copy of this report, which were flatly ignored for well over a year. In April 2025, we were informed that the SANDF was now considering this request. At this stage, it seems that the SANDF has failed its legal obligation to respond timeously in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, inviting further legal steps against it. The politicians, who exercise ultimate oversight over the SANDF, have been informed of various allegations of wrongdoing by Open Secrets but have ignored our pleas that they intervene to prevent the abuse of power. We wrote to then Minister of Defence Thandi Modise in August 2023. We followed that up with a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa in December 2023 and again in December 2024 – to which we never received a substantive response. As a result, none of their office can deny knowledge of these abuses. Promotion for an alleged torturer What accountability has there been for the individuals linked to abductions, torture and abuse? Until now, very little. This again shows that the SANDF has done nothing to deal with a very real problem within its ranks. This serves to stain the reputation of the many honest and hard-working members of the SANDF. In one instance, a military officer linked to torture was subsequently promoted. A post on the SANDF's Instagram account in February 2025 records that one of the lead 'torturers' – Military Police official Lieutenant-Colonel Doris Netshanzhe was promoted to the position of military attaché this year. This promotion is likely to lead to a plum posting in another country, which will send her to an as yet unnamed South African diplomatic mission to hob-nob with diplomats, foreign militaries and live a life of comfort at the public's expense. As we showed in Russian Doll 3, Doris Netshanzhe – nicknamed 'Mama Skebenga' (Mama Gangster) – was the active co-participant, with Sunnybooi Wambi, in the torture of a man we know only as 'Sphamandla' at the Military police bar at Thaba Tshwane military base in February 2020. According to witness accounts, Sphamandla died that night as a result of his injuries and his body was possibly buried in the grounds of the Special Forces headquarters outside Pretoria. A test for the President The prosecution of the SANDF 'dirty dozen' represents a significant political challenge for Ramaphosa. The commander in chief has been informed of abuses within the military. He has also known that officers within the SANDF have been implicated in the murder of a top police officer. He and the politicians in the Ministry of Defence and the parliamentary defence committee have not lifted a finger in public to call for the suspension of implicated officers. The military top brass have either remained silent or simply denied any allegations of abuse. Their collective silence risks making the political establishment accomplices to these crimes if they do nothing to address this. At the very least, one or more generals should be dismissed for this inaction and the President needs to consider why the chief of the SANDF has done so little to tackle this — and hold him accountable. All of this underscores the extraordinary public importance of the prosecution of the SANDF's 'dirty dozen' and the work of the Hawks and prosecutors in bringing these matters to court. They will no doubt face intense backroom pressure to drop these charges. This represents a test for our democratic state and demands vigilance to ensure that all those implicated are held to account. Ultimately, we need to ensure that not only are the perpetrators held to account, but also the system of cover-up and silence which has enabled it. We owe this to victims and their families. DM Open Secrets is a non-profit organisation which exposes and builds accountability for private-sector economic crimes through investigative research, advocacy and the law. To support our work, visit Support Open Secrets.
The Citizen
23-06-2025
- The Citizen
Ten more SANDF members arrested in Hawks officer murder case
Ten SANDF members have been arrested for the 2023 murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, bringing the total number of suspects to twelve. Ten additional South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a senior official from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks. The ten additional suspects were arrested on Monday after they handed themselves over to the Hawks investigating officers in Johannesburg. This comes after two members were arrested at separate locations on Sunday night by members of the Johannesburg branch of the Hawks and assisting tactical units. 10 more SANDF members handed themselves over to Hawks The suspects are believed to be linked to the 2023 murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa. Mathipa was working for the Hawks' Crime Against the State division when he was shot while driving along the N1 near Hammanskraal on 6 August 2023. ALSO READ: Two SANDF members arrested for murder of Lieutenant Colonel 'Following the shooting, Mathipa's vehicle lost control and veered into a ditch,' confirmed Hawks' spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo. Singo said Mathipa was on duty conducting an investigation at the time of his death. All ten additional suspects — including the two arrested on Sunday — appeared before the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday afternoon to face charges of murder and kidnapping. Case postponed to 1 July The court postponed the case against the 12 officials to 1 July for a formal bail application. According to the Hawks, the court order prohibits the disclosure of the accused's identities. Investigators have also linked the suspects to the kidnapping of two male foreign nationals at a mall in Midrand on 29 December 2025. ALSO READ: SANDF budget constraints: SAAF needs R414 million to refurbish Ramaphosa's presidential jet 2nd high-profile incident The arrests are the second high-profile incident involving military members this past weekend. On Saturday, two SANDF soldiers were stabbed to death by a colleague at the Macadamia military base near Komatipoort in Mpumalanga. 'The circumstances surrounding the incident remain the subject of ongoing inquiry, and further details will be communicated once officially verified,' stated SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala. 'We appeal to the public and media to allow the investigative processes to unfold without speculation and to respect the dignity and privacy of the affected families during this difficult time,' he advised.
TimesLIVE
23-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Soldiers arrested for murder of Hawks officer Frans Mathipa facing three counts of murder
The 12 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members accused of killing Hawks officer Lt-Col Frans Mathipa are facing three counts of murder. They are also facing several other charges, including two counts of kidnapping, making false statements under oath, obstructing the administration of justice, theft and fraud. The 12 soldiers appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court on Monday. The court ordered the media not to publish their names or pictures as an identity parade must still be conducted. The case was postponed to July 1 for a bail application and the soldiers remanded. The court heard that the matter will be transferred to the high court within the Gauteng jurisdiction. On Sunday, the Johannesburg-based Hawks' serious organised crime investigation team arrested two soldiers, aged 36 and 51, linked to the murder of Mathipa. During the operation, police also seized a vehicle belonging to the 36-year-old suspect. The vehicle is alleged to have been used in the kidnapping of two male foreign nationals at a mall in Midrand on December 29 2022. On Monday, 10 more soldiers were arrested after they handed themselves over to the Hawks investigating officers in Johannesburg. Mathipa was fatally shot while driving on the N1 highway near Hammanskraal on August 6 2023. After being shot his vehicle veered out of control and landed in a ditch. Mathipa, who was attached to the Hawks' crimes against the state section within the serious organised crime investigation unit in Gauteng, was on duty conducting an investigation at the time of his death. The Sunday Times reported he had been investigating the abduction of alleged Isis leader Abdella Abadiga from the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg and was looking into suspicions that South African military special forces were involved. Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Christopher Singo said the accused are also linked to a case involving the kidnapping of two foreign nationals in December 2022. 'At this moment, we cannot reveal their identity as per the court instructions. An identity parade has to be conducted. Their names and identities will only be revealed after we are done with the identity parade,' he said. He added that Mathipa was responsible for investigating high-profile cases. 'Some of those cases involved the accused who are appearing in court, but I cannot get into the details of those cases.'
