News24 | Twelve soldiers accused of murdering Hawks detective, ISIS leader granted bail

Hawks investigator Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa.

Twelve SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Special Forces members accused of three murders, including that of Hawks investigator Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, were granted R10 000 bail each in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

The soldiers are accused of the murder of Mathipa, who was shot on the N1 near the Hammanskraal off-ramp on 6 August 2023.

They have also been charged with the kidnapping of alleged ISIS leader in South Africa, Abdela Abadiga, and his bodyguard, Kadir Abotese, from the Mall of Africa on 22 December 2022.

Abadiga and Abotese have not been found and have been presumed dead.

The soldiers are Sunnybooi Pinny Wambi, Edward Albert van Deventer, David Mogaditswe, Kgosietsile Letsatsi, Samkelo Ngwenya, Jonathan Nteleza, Paulos Matlou, Herbert Mashego, Solomon Lechoenyo, Jacob Mokoena, Richard Mpoetsi, Olyn Lenardus.

Magistrate Hleziphi Mkhasibe said the State’s case with regard to the two kidnappings was weak.

The State presented no evidence to show that the accused were seen physically abducting Abadiga and Abotese, she said.

“At the time of the kidnappings, some of the accused were not present during the commission of the crime,” Mkhasibe added.

“Mr Abadiga’s vehicle was seen leaving the Mall of Africa but none of the applicants were seen driving the vehicles. There is no evidence that the applicants killed Mr Abadiga and Mr Abotese.”

Referring to Mathipa’s murder, the court said the State’s case was also weak and circumstantial.

Mkhasibe noted that no firearm was found.

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“It’s not enough to say that the accused have access to high-velocity firearms but there is no evidence that the firearm [used in Mathipa’s murder] was allocated to the accused,” she said.

She added that nobody saw Wambi, the sixth accused, pull the trigger and questioned whether the evidence presented was sufficient to prosecute the 12 accused.

Meanwhile, Mkhasibe said that the investigating officer’s claim that he had escaped an attempted hit on his life was not substantiated.

“The State advocate told the court that the applicants hired a hitman from KwaZulu-Natal to eliminate the detective but there is no evidence. This fact should not unnecessarily prejudice the applicant.”