Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer have been charged with the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa. Mathipa, a highly respected detective, was shot dead in August 2023 while driving home outside Pretoria. His car was found overturned after the incident.
The charges stem from Mathipa's investigation into the alleged abduction and killing of an Ethiopian man, Abdella Abadigga, by special forces. Abadigga, an alleged Islamic State (IS) militant, was reportedly smuggled back into South Africa by the military and Department of Home Affairs to serve as an intelligence asset. He later "went rogue," according to Colonel Tollie Vreugdenburg, former head of counter-terrorism in The Hawks, an elite police unit.
This case has caused significant concern within South Africa, a nation known for its robust democracy. It raises questions about the military's potential overreach of its mandate. The South African army has not responded to inquiries regarding its responsibility for Mathipa's killing or its role in Abadigga's return.
The BBC World Service gained exclusive access to prosecution documents against the accused. These hundreds of pages of secret police and court documents suggest special forces killed Mathipa. Police documents indicate a vehicle that trailed Mathipa before his death was registered to a special forces front company. Tracking data from this vehicle places it at the shooting scene.
One of the men in that vehicle, Major Sunnybooi Wambi, was also seen at the scene of an alleged abduction. This abduction was the very case Mathipa was investigating. After Mathipa's death, special forces reportedly issued a chilling warning to The Hawks: "You can appoint 10 investigating officers; we will kill all of them."
Mathipa's investigation focused on the allegation that special forces abducted and killed Abadigga in December 2022. The United States had sanctioned Abadigga earlier that year, designating him an IS recruiter and fundraiser. Court documents show Abadigga's phone connected to a mast near a military base after his abduction. Police sources claim it was used to call a number in Somalia.
The Pentagon did not comment on whether Abadigga's phone helped locate Bilal al-Sudani, a top IS figure killed by US special forces in Somalia in January 2023. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also declined to comment on whether Abadigga was kidnapped at the US's behest. Mathipa had been working on this sensitive case for four months before his death, seeking crucial evidence.
Three of the charged men have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail. They remain employed by the army's special forces, with one even receiving a promotion. This situation raises serious doubts about the trial proceeding as scheduled. The lack of cooperation from the accused and the military's silence could undermine public trust in the justice system and state institutions.
The ongoing developments will be closely watched by human rights organizations and international observers. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for military accountability and the rule of law in South Africa. It will also test the government's commitment to transparency and justice in high-profile cases involving state actors.