Twelve SANDF members granted bail over murder, kidnapping charges
Twelve South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officials appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on today, 11 July, where each was granted R10,000 bail in connection with the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale confirmed the group faces charges related to Mathipa’s fatal shooting on 6 August 2023.
The senior officer, attached to the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State unit, was gunned down while driving on the N1 near Hammanskraal, causing his vehicle to veer off the road.
The accused are also allegedly linked to the kidnapping of two foreign nationals at a Midrand mall on 29 December 2022.
The matter has been postponed to 17 July 2025 for the appeal of the bail judgment.