Former police general and presidential adviser arrested over police-issued ammunition and documents linked to Mfazi murder probe
A 57-year-old former police general and presidential adviser has been arrested after allegedly being found with more than 100 rounds of police-issued ammunition and documents linked to the investigation into the murder of Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi.
The SAPS National Cold Case Unit made the arrest. The suspect, who has not been named, is expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Ammunition and a search of his home
In a statement, police said the ammunition seized included rounds for R5 rifles and 9mm firearms. They pointed out that the former general left the South African Police Service in 2009, and said there is no valid reason for him to hold state-issued ammunition. He faces a charge under the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
The arrest follows a search-and-seizure operation at his home in Centurion on July 6, 2026. During the raid, investigators confiscated documents and electronic devices believed to be relevant to the probe into Mfazi’s murder.
“During the operation, investigators also seized documents and electronic devices believed to be relevant to the investigation into the murder of Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi,” police said.
The charge announced so far relates to the ammunition. Police have not said that the former general has been charged in connection with Mfazi’s death, and the statement does not describe what the seized documents contain or how they may be relevant.
Who was Sindile Mfazi?
Mfazi was a deputy national police commissioner who died on July 8, 2021. His death was originally attributed to Covid-19. Questions about that explanation have since emerged.
In February 2026, a former Crime Intelligence officer told an Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee examining alleged corruption within the SAPS and Crime Intelligence that Mfazi was poisoned and that his death had been wrongly recorded as Covid-related. The allegation has not been tested in court.
Calls for documents and a full probe
The case has also drawn in other figures. In June, Mfazi’s family foundation called on former Crime Intelligence head Mulangi Mphego to release all information about missing Phala Phala documents.
Mphego responded by refuting claims linked to Mfazi’s death and the Phala Phala investigation. He called for a comprehensive probe into the circumstances of Mfazi’s death and challenged allegations of misconduct.
What happens next
The former general’s court appearance should clarify the charge he faces and whether he will be granted bail. It is also unclear whether further arrests or charges will follow in the Mfazi investigation, or whether the seized devices and documents will lead to new developments.
For now, the arrest shows the Cold Case Unit pursuing a firearms-related charge while its wider inquiry into Mfazi’s death continues. Police have not said whether the suspect is regarded as a witness, a person of interest or a suspect in the murder probe. As with any criminal matter, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.