Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, a highly respected detective and father of five, was killed in August 2023 while driving home along a motorway outside Pretoria. His vehicle was discovered overturned after he had been shot dead while driving.
For four months, the senior detective had been fighting to gain access to a crucial piece of information regarding an ongoing investigation. Finally, he was told that the evidence was going to come his way. However, he feared his pursuit of it could cost him his life.
Now, seven members of South Africa’s special forces and one military police officer have been charged with his murder. They deny the charges, yet the case has caused significant consternation in one of Africa’s most robust democracies, with fears the country’s military is significantly overreaching its mandate.
There is currently no date scheduled for their trial. Concerns are mounting that the proceedings may never go ahead, as three of the men charged with his murder have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail. These individuals remain employed by the army’s special forces, and one has even received a promotion.
The World Service has gained exclusive access to the prosecution case against the eight accused men. Several hundred pages of secret police and court documents set out evidence suggesting special forces killed Mathipa, who worked for an elite police unit known as “The Hawks.”
To build a comprehensive account of the events leading to the detective’s death, we interviewed key sources, including South Africa’s former head of counter-terrorism in The Hawks, Mathipa’s commanding officer, and his family. The evidence presents a compelling case that the military was responsible.
Police documents indicate that the vehicle trailing Mathipa just before he was shot was registered to a front company for the special forces. Tracking data retrieved from that vehicle places it directly at the scene of the shooting. Furthermore, documents show that one of the men in the car, Major Sunnybooi Wambi, was spotted at the scene of an alleged abduction carried out by special forces—the very case Mathipa had been investigating.
Following Mathipa’s death, the special forces allegedly issued a chilling warning to The Hawks. According to police records, the message stated: “You can appoint 10 investigating officers; we will kill all of them.”
When asked whether the South African army was responsible for Mathipa’s killing, the military did not respond. Africa Eye uncovers a disturbing story of power, secrecy, and murder that continues to threaten the integrity of the nation’s justice system.
