Mfazi had been probing a R1.6 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement fraud ring inside Saps headquarters.
Lieutenant General Sindile Christopher “Pitso” Mfazi. Picture: X/Abramjee
The 2021 death of South African Police Service (Saps) Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant‑General Sindile Christopher “Pitso” Mfazi, has been reclassified as a murder investigation.
Mfazi was initially reported to have died of Covid‑19 complications on 8 July 2021. But forensic evidence and parliamentary testimony have since revealed he was poisoned with liquid casting resin – a targeted killing linked to his corruption investigations.
Exhumation
His body was later exhumed, and toxicology results confirmed poisoning, prompting the National Cold Case Unit to launch a full‑scale probe.
Working with the Special Task Force, investigators have executed multiple search-and-seizure warrants at offices and properties in Gauteng, raiding premises and confiscating electronic devices.
Police raid
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police raided two properties in Gauteng and are currently interviewing a person of interest.
“I wouldn’t want to divulge names or the identities of these persons of interest, but just to confirm that we are looking at a number of persons of interest.
Mathe said the investigation is at a “sensitive stage” and has stopped short of calling it an assassination plot.
Person of interest
A person of interest is currently being interviewed, though no arrests have been made yet.
“We wouldn’t want to divulge a lot because the J51 search and seizure warrants are ongoing. So, operations are ongoing; they are yet to, you know, hit other addresses, and I wouldn’t want to divulge which addresses and which other persons of interest they will be taking in for questioning.”
“But I can confirm that they have seized a number of electronic gadgets to corroborate basically the evidence that they’ve gathered since July 2021, when the case was handed over to the Cold Case Unit to investigate.
“So, we do confirm that we are investigating a full-scale murder investigation,” Mathe said.
BREAKING NEWS | National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe has confirmed that the death of SAPS Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lt-Gen Sindile Mfazi, is now being investigated as a murder. For more news, visit https://t.co/TS6YUmN424 pic.twitter.com/wFnwV2yxUv
– SABC News (@SABCNews) July 6, 2026
Probe
Mfazi had been probing a R1.6 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement fraud ring inside Saps headquarters, as well as the Phala Phala burglary and alleged misuse of Crime Intelligence funds.
Whistleblowers testified that senior police officials allegedly removed his investigative files from his home on the night of his death, before his widow arrived.
The Mfazi family and foundation have demanded the return of missing dossiers and called for a transparent parliamentary inquiry.
More than 15 000 citizens have signed a petition backing the call, as suspicions mount that high‑profile figures and fellow officers may have been complicit in his alleged assassination.
