Former Police General Arrested Over SAPS-Issued Ammunition
A 56-year-old former police general has been arrested for the unlawful possession of more than 100 rounds of South African Police Service-issued ammunition, following a search-and-seizure operation at his Centurion home.
The arrest, announced by SAPS on Tuesday, is linked to the investigation into the murder of Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi, the former deputy national police commissioner for crime detection who died in 2021.
The former general appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing a charge of unlawful possession of ammunition in contravention of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
THE RAID AND THE AMMUNITION
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the operation was conducted by the SAPS National Cold Case Unit at the suspect’s home in Centurion on 6 July 2026.
During the search, investigators found more than 100 rounds of SAPS-issued ammunition, including R5 rifle rounds and 9mm ammunition. They also seized documents and electronic devices believed to be relevant to the investigation into Mfazi’s murder.
Mathe said the former general left the SAPS in 2009, and there were “no valid reasons for his possession of the SAPS-issued ammunition”.
” No one is above the law,” Mathe said. “The SAPS National Cold Case Unit continues to pursue all leads in serious and unresolved cases, and where criminal conduct is identified, decisive action will be taken”.
THE MFazi MURDER INVESTIGATION
Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi died in July 2021. His death was initially attributed to complications from Covid-19. However, subsequent information suggested he may have been poisoned, prompting authorities to exhume his body for toxicology testing at the request of his family.
Mfazi served as deputy national police commissioner for crime detection and was reportedly involved in several high-profile investigations, including the Phala Phala saga and allegations of fraud in the police’s procurement of personal protective equipment.
Police have not indicated whether the former general is being investigated in connection with Mfazi’s murder itself. The charge he faces relates solely to the ammunition.
A PATTERN OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The arrest comes amid a wider wave of accountability actions within the SAPS. Last month, former police general Shadrack Sibiya was arrested on charges including rape, sexual grooming, human trafficking, and negligent handling of a firearm.
The former general’s court appearance also coincides with the return to work of National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, who resumed his duties after criminal charges against him were withdrawn.
