Key facts
- Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer are charged with the murder of Lt Col Frans Mathipa.
- Mathipa was investigating allegations that special forces abducted and killed Abdella Abadigga, an alleged IS militant, in December 2022.
- Evidence indicates a vehicle registered to a special forces front company, Peters Communications Trust (PCT), was at the scene of Mathipa's murder.
- Tracking data from a vehicle linked to the special forces placed it at the scene of the crime.
- Maj Sunnybooi Wambi, one of the accused, was allegedly spotted at the scene of Abadigga's abduction.
- Special forces allegedly issued a threat to the police unit investigating the case, stating "You can appoint 10 investigating officers; we will kill all of them."
Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer have been charged with the murder of Lt Col Frans Mathipa, a senior detective who was investigating alleged extrajudicial killings by the military. Mathipa was shot dead in August 2023 while driving home, reportedly after pursuing crucial information in a sensitive case.
The BBC World Service has gained exclusive access to prosecution documents detailing the case. These documents suggest that a vehicle registered to Peters Communications Trust (PCT), a front company for the special forces, trailed Mathipa shortly before his death. Tracking data from this vehicle reportedly places it at the scene of the shooting. One of the accused, Maj Sunnybooi Wambi, is also alleged to have been present at the scene of an abduction that Mathipa was investigating.
The investigation centered on Abdella Abadigga, an Ethiopian man granted asylum in South Africa who was allegedly used as an intelligence asset by the South African military and Department of Home Affairs. Abadigga had reportedly gone rogue and was extorting the local Ethiopian community to fund IS. Mathipa was investigating allegations that special forces abducted and killed Abadigga in December 2022, shortly before Abadigga's phone was reportedly used to make a call to Somalia, where a top IS figure was later killed by US forces.
Mathipa's commanding officer, Brig Paulina Sekgobela, stated that Mathipa had a premonition of his death, telling her, "these people - they are going to kill me. I'm going to die." Mathipa's daughter, Basetsana, reported that her father received a call from someone claiming to have information on the case on the day he was killed.
Despite the charges, there are concerns the trial may not proceed, as three of the accused have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail and remain employed by the special forces, with one having received a promotion. The South African army and the Department of Home Affairs did not respond to BBC inquiries regarding their alleged involvement.