Public Interest SA Condemns Promotion of Murder-Accused officer to Head SA Special Forces

Johannesburg, Sunday, 25 January 2026 – Public Interest SA unequivocally condemns the promotion of Brigadier General Solly Lechoenyo to General Officer Commanding the South African Special Forces while he stands charged with serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping and conspiracy.

This promotion is not merely ill-judged — it is a scandalous indictment of the state of accountability within the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

At the centre of this matter is the assassination of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Mathipa, a senior Hawks investigator murdered while probing allegations implicating members of the Special Forces. To elevate an accused person linked to this case to the apex of an elite combat unit is an affront to the rule of law, an insult to the victim’s family, and a direct assault on public confidence in the security services.

Commenting on the promotion, Public Interest SA Chairperson Tebogo Khaas said:

“This decision is indefensible. You cannot credibly claim to uphold discipline, integrity, or the rule of law while promoting an officer who is facing charges as grave as murder. This is not about guilt or innocence — it is about judgement, ethics, and safeguarding the integrity of the state while the courts do their work.”

Khaas added:

“The SANDF appears to be sending a dangerous message that seniority offers insulation from accountability. That is how institutions rot from the inside. In any functioning democracy, an officer in this position would be placed on precautionary leave, not elevated to command one of the country’s most sensitive units.”

Public Interest SA therefore calls on the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and the President of the Republic, as Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, to intervene urgently by:

• Immediately suspending or reversing the promotion;

• Placing the implicated officer on precautionary leave; and

• Instituting a transparent review of SANDF promotion and accountability procedures where serious criminal charges are pending.

Failure to act decisively will confirm a deeply troubling reality: that accountability within South Africa’s security apparatus is selective, negotiable, and subordinate to internal power dynamics.

“This moment requires leadership, not silence,” Khaas said. “South Africa’s constitutional democracy cannot survive a security sector that shields its own while justice is still unfolding.”

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About Public Interest SA

Public Interest SA is a non-profit organisation committed to advancing accountability, ethical governance, and the rule of law in South Africa. It works to expose maladministration, protect democratic institutions, and promote transparency in the exercise of public power.

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