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The death of former deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Sindile Mfazi is now being investigated as a murder after investigators found evidence of a poisonous substance in his body.
Mfazi died in July 2021, with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and parliament at the time saying his death was linked to Covid-19 complications.
However, police have reopened the matter after concerns were raised by his family, leading to a lengthy investigation by the SAPS cold case unit.
Speaking at a media briefing in Centurion on Monday night, national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the family approached the then national police commissioner, who instructed the cold case unit to investigate allegations surrounding Mfazi’s death.
“We can confirm in the same month his body was exhumed. Examinations conducted confirmed a poisonous substance was found in his body.
“We can confirm the case was changed from being registered as an inquest docket to a murder docket,” said Mathe.
She said investigators first had to establish how the poisonous substance entered Mfazi’s body before deciding to open a murder case.
“The team had to determine whether it was accidentally ingested or whether there was an intention to kill him. After the gathering of evidence and information, the team is quite confident they are investigating a murder case,” she said.
Mathe said investigators are looking into people of interest believed to be linked to the case.
She said the cold case unit, working with the special task force, has carried out several search-and-seizure operations.
“Two offices were raided this morning [Monday]. The team then proceeded to two residential addresses,” she said.
Mathe said the investigation is at a sensitive stage and police cannot reveal the identities of the persons of interest.
She said the priority is to complete the investigation and provide answers and closure to Mfazi’s family after years of uncertainty.
TimesLIVE
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