SANDF denies having a DEATH SQUAD
SANDF accused of abducting and torturing suspects in their investigations over missing rifles from an army base in Pretoria back 2019.
The South African National Defence Force(SANDF) has denied allegations of a death and torture squad within its ranks.
This follows an expose published by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Open Secrets. In its NGO the claim four units, carried out criminal activities dating back to 2019. The implicated units are; the elite Special Forces Brigade, the Military Police, Defence Intelligence and Defence Legal Services.
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“For the record, there are no military squads in the defence force that exist to carry out acts of torture and murder for whatever reason”, says the SANDF.
The Chief of the SA National Defence Force Media Briefing Notes || Thursday, 07 December 2023 at the Department of Defence Logistics Support Formation.
— SA National Defence Force (@SANDF_ZA) December 7, 2023
Issued by the Department of Defence Head of Communication, Mr Siphiwe Dlamini.#SANDF#DCCMediaLiaison pic.twitter.com/zVNQ4f2Qj9
In an attempt to clear their name, the SANDF has urged sources to report the matter to law enforcement.
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“There are a number of avenues where crimes can be reported such as any law enforcement agency, the public protector, the Military Ombudsman and any such agency.”
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The SANDF is accused of abducting alleged ISIS Africa financier Abdella Abadiga and his body guard at the Mall of Africa in December 2022.
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The military says it was a coincidence that the abduction occurred on the same day as their training exercise.
Lead investigator into the abduction Frans Mathipa from the Hawks was murdered in August on the N1 near the Hammanskraal toll plaza.
According to Open Secrets, Pinny Sunnybooi Wambi who lead the training exercise at the Mall of Africa received a promotion soon after the abduction.
“It is worth noting that Wambi was given the rank of major in court papers in February 2023 following the Abadiga abduction. In court papers submitted by the SANDF in July 2023 (in response to Mathipa’s quest to gain access to Wambi’s cellphone records) he is referred to as a colonel. If accurate, this suggests a promotion in 2023 following the Abadiga abduction”, the NGO suspects.