Twelve members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have been charged in connection with the killing of a Hawks investigator and the kidnapping of foreign nationals.
The two SANDF soldiers, aged 36 and 51, were arrested in separate operations at OR Tambo International Airport and in Centurion, Pretoria, on Sunday, June 22. They are expected to appear in court on Monday.
According to Hawks spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo, the arrests were made by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation units and Tactical Operations Management Section. The suspects are accused of being involved in the fatal shooting of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa on August 6, 2023. Mathipa, who was attached to the Hawks’ Crimes Against State Unit in Gauteng, was killed while on duty on the N1 near Hammanskraal. After being shot, his vehicle left the road and crashed.
As part of the investigation, police seized a vehicle belonging to the 36-year-old suspect, which is linked to a separate kidnapping case. It was alleged to have been used in the kidnapping of two foreign nationals at a Midrand shopping centre on 29 December 2022. It has been seized for forensic examination.
In a significant development, a further 10 South African soldiers surrendered to the Hawks’ serious organised crime unit in Johannesburg on Monday. They are expected to appear in court alongside the first two suspects.
All 12 face charges of murder and kidnapping. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.