PRETORIA, Gauteng – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has officially confirmed that the death of Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi is now being investigated as a full-scale murder. This major development comes after forensic examinations revealed a poisonous substance in his body, prompting a massive police operation involving the national cold case unit and the special task force.
SAPS National Spokesperson Lieutenant General Athlenda Mathe announced the breakthrough during a recent media briefing, clarifying the complex timeline of the case. Lieutenant General Mfazi, who served as the head of detectives and crime intelligence, initially passed away on July 8, 2021. At the time of his death, there was a severe national outbreak of the virus, and because he had recently tested positive, his passing was initially attributed to COVID-19 complications.
However, the narrative shifted when the late general’s family raised serious concerns. According to Mathe, the general’s wife approached the then National Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, providing information as to why she believed he was killed rather than having died from the virus. Acting on these allegations, the Commissioner instructed an independent directorate and the SAPS cold case unit to probe the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Later that same month, his body was exhumed. Subsequent forensic examinations confirmed the presence of a poisonous substance in his system. Following this discovery, the case was officially upgraded from an inquest docket to a murder docket.
Addressing the delay in the investigation, Mathe explained that investigators needed time to determine if the substance was ingested accidentally or administered with the intention to kill. Having gathered sufficient evidence to confirm foul play, the cold case unit, working closely with the special task force, recently executed multiple search and seizure warrants.
“They conducted this particular operation at two offices… they also raided two residential properties,” Mathe confirmed. During these raids, authorities seized a number of electronic gadgets to corroborate the evidence they have been gathering since the case was handed over to the cold case unit in 2021.
The spokesperson confirmed that investigators are looking into a combination of high-profile and other persons of interest. Currently, at least one person of interest is being interviewed by authorities. Mathe declined to divulge specific names, identities, or the exact locations of the raided offices to preserve the integrity and sensitivity of the ongoing operations, noting that more search and seizure warrants are yet to be executed.
While the official motive has not yet been explicitly outlined by police, the late Lieutenant General Mfazi was known for juggling multiple high-stakes investigations at the time of his death. He was heavily involved in probing systematic state capture and corruption within the SAPS headquarters in Pretoria, including investigations into a controversial R1.6 billion SAPS PPE tender and other related cases.
When pressed on whether his murder was an assassination linked to the rot he was uncovering within the police service, Mathe stated that the evidence will ultimately dictate the motive. “We cannot for now obviously outline the motive… the facts, as we go deeper into investigations, will then lead us as to why would anyone want the Commissioner for Crime Detection killed,” she said.
Mathe affirmed that the investigative team is “on the right track” and has gathered enough evidence to pursue the suspects. The SAPS emphasized that the investigation remains delicate and active, with authorities committed to providing closure to the family and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice when the case is ready for court.
