Warrants of arrest have been issued for six members of the South African Special Forces after they failed to surrender themselves. They are accused of murdering a Hawks investigator, amongst others.
The six are charged with murdering Hawks investigator Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa in August 2023. Mathipa was investigating their involvement in the kidnapping of two terror financing suspects in December 2022.
The Special Forces members (Dawid Mogaditswe, Kgosietsile Letsatsi, Samkelo Ngwenya, Boitumelo Nteleza, Paulos Matlou and Sunnybooi Wambi) had their bail revoked and were supposed to surrender themselves to their nearest police stations by 23 January, but failed to comply, News24 reported.
An urgent application to overturn the revocation of bail, to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, was unsuccessful as it was not initially enrolled, but has now been enrolled for a hearing on Thursday 29 January.
Twelve Special Forces operators (Sunnybooi Wambi, Edward Albert van Deventer, David Mogaditswe, Kgosietsile Letsatsi, Samkelo Ngwenya, Jonathan Nteleza, Paulos Matlou, Herbert Mashego, Solomon Lechoenyo, Jacob Mokoena, Richard Mpoetsi and Olyn Lenardus) – were arrested in June 2025 and in July granted bail of R10 000 each in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
On 16 January, the Johannesburg High Court revoked bail for six of the 12 as Acting Judge William Karam ruled the gravity of the charges, the strength of the State’s evidence, and the potential risks to the administration of justice justified the soldiers’ detention.
The high court ordered that accused one to six be remanded and report to prison on January 23 after finding that the grounds advanced for them to remain on bail were unsatisfactory, while bail for the other six was extended. All accused were expected to appear before the Randburg magistrate’s court on 30 January 30 further investigation and continuation of proceedings, where they face charges of murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, and defeating the ends of justice.
Mathipa was shot and killed while driving on the N1 north in the vicinity of the Hammanskraal interchange on 6 August 2023. He was allegedly en route to a meeting to discuss an alleged December 2022 Special Forces kidnapping, with all 12 accused facing charges for that offence as well as kidnapping charges related to the abduction of an ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) associate and his bodyguard (Abdella Abadiga and Kadir Abotese) from the Mall of Africa.
It is alleged that members of the Special Forces unit faked a hijacking to get rid of the BMW they allegedly used to carry out Mathipa’s murder. They lodged an insurance claim while the vehicle was, according to prosecutors, left at a scrapyard. The court heard that a burner phone used to allegedly lure Mathipa to his death was found inside the BMW.
During their bail hearing in Randburg on 11 July, the magistrate described the state’s evidence as “frail” and largely circumstantial. No firearm linked to the murder was recovered, and there was no proof of direct access to weapons by the accused.
Contentious promotion
Solomon Lechoenyo, who is out on bail, was recently promoted to command the Special Forces. According to a list of promotions and appointments from the South African National Defence Force, Brigadier General Lechoenyo is now General Officer Commanding Special Forces effective 1 January, replacing Brigadier General Tom Yalo, who is now Chief Director Operations Development.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was “deeply concerned” by the decision to promote Lechoenyo while he is facing serious criminal charges.
“In cases of this seriousness, senior officers are normally suspended, placed on special leave, or at least relieved of command to prevent any risk of interference and to protect the integrity of investigations. None of those steps appear to have been taken in this case,” stated Chris Hattingh, DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans. “Instead, a decision was taken to promote and appoint an accused officer to a senior command post. Promotion is not a routine administrative step. It is a judgement about trust, integrity and fitness to lead.”
“Ordinary soldiers are usually blocked from promotion while serious criminal cases are pending. Applying a different approach for senior officers undermines discipline and sends the wrong message through the ranks,” Hattingh stated.
The DA has submitted parliamentary questions to establish who approved the promotion, what legal advice was relied upon, and why normal precautionary measures such as suspension or special leave were not applied.
“Civilian oversight of the military and equal application of discipline are non-negotiable. The Minister of Defence must account for these decisions fully and transparently,” Hattingh concluded.
Lechoenyo’s promotion was also criticised by non-profit organisation Public Interest SA, which said the promotion was ill-judged and a “scandalous indictment of the state of accountability within the South African National Defence Force”.
“This decision is indefensible. You cannot credibly claim to uphold discipline, integrity, or the rule of law while promoting an officer who is facing charges as grave as murder. This is not about guilt or innocence — it is about judgement, ethics, and safeguarding the integrity of the state while the courts do their work,” Public Interest SA Chairperson Tebogo Khaas said.
“The SANDF appears to be sending a dangerous message that seniority offers insulation from accountability. That is how institutions rot from the inside. In any functioning democracy, an officer in this position would be placed on precautionary leave, not elevated to command one of the country’s most sensitive units,” Khaas added.
Public Interest SA called on the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, to intervene by suspending or reversing the promotion; placing the implicated officer on precautionary leave; and instituting a transparent review of SANDF promotion and accountability procedures where serious criminal charges are pending.
