Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer have been charged with the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, a senior police detective, in August 2023. The accused deny the charges.
Lt Col Mathipa was reportedly shot dead while driving, two days after he was told he would gain access to crucial information in a case he was investigating. He had feared his pursuit of this information could cost him his life.
The detective, who worked for the elite police unit "The Hawks", was investigating allegations that special forces had abducted and killed an Ethiopian man, Abdella Abadigga, in December 2022. Mr Abadigga was an alleged Islamic State militant who had been smuggled back into South Africa by the military and Department of Home Affairs to be used as an intelligence asset, according to Col Tollie Vreugdenburg, former head of counter-terrorism in The Hawks.
Police documents shared with the BBC reportedly indicate that a vehicle registered to a front company for the special forces trailed Mathipa just before he was shot. Tracking data from that vehicle is said to place it at the scene of the shooting. One of the men in the car, Major Sunnybooi Wambi, was also reportedly spotted at the scene of Mr Abadigga's alleged abduction.
There is currently no scheduled date for the trial. Concerns have been raised that the trial may not proceed, as three of the men charged have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail. These individuals are reportedly still working for the army's special forces, with one having been promoted.