The murder of insolvency lawyer Bouwer van Niekerk is a chilling reminder of the risks faced by those who challenge corruption and organised crime, chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on police Ian Cameron says.
Van Niekerk was shot dead in his office in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
Cameron said Van Niekerk had warned that the assassinations of other insolvency practitioners Cloete Murray and Thomas Murray two years ago had sent a “terrifying message” to the legal profession.
“His own killing now deepens the fear that those who hold powerful networks accountable are being systematically targeted,” Cameron said.
Cloete Murray was one of the country's leading insolvency practitioners, central to investigations into Gupta-linked companies and other state capture entities. In 2023, he and his son Thomas were gunned down in a calculated attack in Pretoria.
“The absence of accountability has emboldened those who use violence to silence investigators,” Cameron said.
He said it was not clear whether Van NIekerk's assassination was connected to the Murray killings.
“But what is clear is that South Africa faces a dangerous climate of intimidation against lawyers, auditors and investigators who expose corruption.”
He said parliament should and would demand progress from police and the Hawks.
Cameron said the Hawks existed to pursue cases of organised corruption and targeted assassinations.
“South Africans deserve action, not excuses.”
TimesLIVE
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