BBC World Service investigative unit BBC Africa Eye has released a documentary titled South Africa: Anatomy of a Cover-up. The production examines the death of Lt Col Frans Mathipa, a detective within the South African police unit known as The Hawks. The investigation uses several hundred pages of secret police and court documents to present evidence that South African special forces killed Mathipa.
The documentary reports that Mathipa was shot dead on a highway outside Pretoria shortly after he sought information regarding the abduction of a suspected Islamic State operative by special forces. The BBC Africa Eye team interviewed Mathipa's commanding officer, his family, and the former head of counter-terrorism in The Hawks. Police documents cited in the film include a warning from special forces stating they would kill any investigating officers appointed to the case.
Seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer were charged with the murder of Mathipa in August 2023. These individuals deny the charges. The report states that three of the accused have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail. These three individuals remain employed by the army's special forces, and one has received a promotion.
Episode one of South Africa: Anatomy of a Cover-up is available on BBC iPlayer in the UK and the BBC News Africa YouTube channel internationally. Episode two is scheduled for release on Monday 24 August. The project includes a companion podcast titled Special Forces on Trial. The South African army did not respond to requests for comment from the BBC World Service regarding responsibility for the killing. No trial date has been scheduled for the eight individuals charged with the murder of Lt Col Mathipa.