Two soldiers from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday in Gauteng on charges of murder and kidnapping. 

The soldiers, aged 36 and 51, were arrested on Sunday, June 22, at the OR Tambo International Airport and in Centurion, Pretoria, respectively. 

The spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Singo, stated that the arrests were carried out by members of the Johannesburg-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, the Headquarters’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, and the Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS). 

“The arrests are linked to the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, who was fatally shot while driving on the N1 highway near Hammanskraal on August 6, 2023. Following the shooting, his vehicle lost control and veered into a ditch,” Singo said. 

Lieutenant Colonel Mathipa, who was attached to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State Unit within the Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Gauteng, was on duty conducting an investigation at the time of his death.

Singo said a vehicle seized has also been linked to a separate crime. 

“During the operation, police also seized a vehicle belonging to the 36-year-old suspect. The vehicle is alleged to have been used in the kidnapping of two male foreign nationals at a mall in Midrand on December 29, 2022. It has since been impounded for further forensic investigation,” Singo said. 

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

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