Public Interest SA Condemns Attack on IDAC Official and Demands Urgent Security Intervention
- Tebogo Khaas
- Nov 8, 2025
- 2 min read
Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, 8 November 2025 — Public Interest SA is outraged and deeply alarmed by the kidnapping, assault, and robbery of the Head of Investigations and Operations at the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Matthews Sesoko, as confirmed in the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) press release issued earlier today.
According to the NPA, Sesoko was abducted while driving home last night, assaulted, and later abandoned near Rabie Ridge in the early hours of this morning. His assailants reportedly fled with his cellphone and laptop before leaving him injured and traumatised. The incident has since been reported to the police, and Sesoko is receiving medical attention.
This brazen attack on a senior anti-corruption investigator represents a chilling escalation in the campaign of intimidation against law enforcement officials working to dismantle entrenched corruption and criminal networks. It underscores the perilous environment in which honest public servants and investigators are forced to operate in South Africa today.
Public Interest SA views this incident as deeply concerning, particularly in light of recent disclosures made before Parliament’s ad hoc committee by IDAC Head Advocate Andrea Johnson, who revealed that she had received threats via WhatsApp ostensibly in connection with her work. These threats, coupled with the latest kidnapping, suggest an organised effort to undermine and terrorise those leading the state’s anti-corruption drive.
Public Interest SA calls upon Acting Minister of Police Professor Firoz Cachalia and the National Commissioner of Police, Fannie Masemola, to:
Ensure an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the kidnapping and assault, including whether the attack was related to the victim’s work at IDAC;
Provide urgent security protection to Johnson, her senior investigative team, and other prosecutors engaged in high-risk corruption cases; and
Publicly affirm government’s commitment to protecting law enforcement officials and witnesses who risk their lives to serve justice and uphold the rule of law.
“This latest attack sends a terrifying message to those on the frontlines of the fight against corruption — that their safety is expendable. If the state fails to act swiftly and decisively, it risks emboldening criminal networks and silencing the very people tasked with confronting them,” said Tebogo Khaas, chairperson of Public Interest SA.
The kidnapping of a senior IDAC investigator is not an isolated criminal act — it is an attack on the integrity of the justice system itself. It demonstrates that the enemies of accountability are willing to resort to violence and terror to derail the work of institutions meant to protect the public interest.
Public Interest SA reiterates that the safety of prosecutors and investigators must be treated as a matter of national security. Anything less than a visible, coordinated, and immediate response will further erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to fight corruption without fear or favour.
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Issued by: Public Interest SA NPC
Tebogo Khaas, Chairperson
