A fresh bid for a “full and transparent” parliamentary inquiry into the death of former Eastern Cape top cop Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi has emerged, following explosive revelations about the circumstances surrounding his death and the investigations he was involved in.
The renewed calls come amid proceedings of parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi over serious crimes within the police service.
A petition, targeting one-million signatures, is calling for a parliamentary investigation into Mfazi’s death and the matters linked to it.
At the time of his death in 2021, Mfazi was serving as deputy national commissioner responsible for crime detection.
He had previously spent a decade as head of crime intelligence in the Eastern Cape.
His death was initially attributed to Covid-19 complications.
However, subsequent developments — including the exhumation of his body — pointed to possible foul play, with forensic and toxicology reports indicating he may have been poisoned.
The case has since drawn national attention, with earlier reports revealing that elite police detectives had been assigned to investigate the circumstances of his death, while an inquest was also launched to examine inconsistencies in the initial findings and handling of evidence.
Mfazi died while investigating a number of high-profile and sensitive cases, including a R1.6bn personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud matter linked to police procurement, as well as other corruption and organised crime cases.
Some of the dockets on his desk reportedly included the Phala Phala scandal, the R6.1bn privatisation of police forensic systems case, and the assassination of Cape Town top cop Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear.
The petition, labelled #JusticeForMfazi, is expected to close on July 8, marking five years since his death.
By Monday afternoon, it had garnered 7,801 signatures, with more than 2,000 of those coming from the Eastern Cape.
No stone must be left unturned. The killers must be found. Arrests must be made
His family said they wanted parliament to place the investigation under direct oversight to ensure it was conducted without interference, obstruction or manipulation.
“No stone must be left unturned. The killers must be found. Arrests must be made.
“Parliament must demand a complete account of the crimes General Mfazi was investigating — including Phala Phala, the R6.1bn FDA matter, R1.6bn PPE corruption, and illegal SAPS activities — and ensure those implicated are brought before the law.
“Those who may have been involved in, been aware of, or failed to prevent threats to General Mfazi’s life — including any who may have ordered, facilitated, or covered up his murder — must face the full force of the law,” the family said.
The family said Mfazi’s three children deserved closure and justice.
We hope we can get all the support and push so that it gets to parliament because the investigation of his death has been surprisingly quiet
— Lindelwa, wife
Speaking to the Dispatch, his wife Lindelwa said the family was still struggling to come to terms with his death.
“It hasn’t been easy but we have been living through, especially for the kids, but we are coping,” she said.
“We hope we can get all the support and push so that it gets to parliament because the investigation of his death has been surprisingly quiet.”
The renewed push follows testimony before the ad hoc committee by former police crime intelligence analyst Pilasande Dotyeni, whose submission focused on the circumstances surrounding Mfazi’s death.
Dotyeni alleged that Mfazi had uncovered extensive corruption and was the target of professional assassins who ultimately poisoned him.
In their final conversation, a few days before his death, Mfazi confided that he had uncovered a complex web of corruption linked to emergency procurement tenders, particularly PPE contracts valued at more than R1.6bn.
According to Dotyeni, Mfazi’s investigation pointed to a co-ordinated siphoning operation involving individuals within SAPS headquarters.
He said Mfazi frequently referred to the SAPS as a “crime scene”.
Dotyeni told the committee that Mfazi had asked him to use digital surveillance and behavioural monitoring methods, including keystroke tracking of SAPS procurement systems and secure communications monitoring.
He also alleged that while Mfazi’s body was still at his home, senior SAPS officials from national headquarters arrived and removed files from the house — claims that have raised concerns about possible interference in the investigation.
Lindelwa said she was not shocked by the testimony.
“I am not shocked by what Dotyeni said there. I was rather surprised by his bravery. I commend him for that.
“My husband used to keep notes of everything. When he died, I was in possession of his pocket notes and it was really difficult to give them to any cop because it was hard to trust anyone.
“Eventually, I gave them to Dotyeni and it had all the names of people he was investigating,” she said.
She said she hoped justice would prevail.
“It will come because I believe in our justice system,” she said.
Mfazi’s career in policing spanned decades.
From 2003 to 2008, he served as Western Cape deputy provincial commissioner responsible for corporate services.
In 2008, he was transferred to the Eastern Cape, where he served as provincial head of crime intelligence until 2018.
He was later moved to SAPS national headquarters in Pretoria, where he took up the position of deputy national commissioner of management advisory services until 2020, and later acted as national police commissioner.
At the time of his death, he was serving as deputy national commissioner for crime detection — one of the most senior positions in the police service.
Despite multiple investigations and growing public interest, key questions surrounding Mfazi’s death remain unanswered.
The latest push for a parliamentary inquiry is likely to intensify pressure on authorities to provide clarity on the circumstances of his death and the cases he was investigating.
Portfolio committee on police chair, Ian Cameron, did not respond to question at time of writing on Monday.
Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the office of the speaker had not received any petition or communication regarding the matter from the family.
However, he said Cameron’s committee had the power to handle such matters.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.