United Kingdom: Eight South African Soldiers Charged With Murder of Detective Frans Mathipa

Lt Col Frans Mathipa was a respected detective and father of five. He had been fighting for four months to gain access to a crucial piece of information in the case he was working on. Finally, he was told, it was going to come his way.

But he feared his pursuit of it could cost him his life. Two days later, his car was found overturned - he had been shot dead while driving. Now seven members of South Africa's special forces, and one military police officer, have been charged with murdering Lt Col Mathipa in August 2023. They deny the charges.

There has been no date scheduled for their trial, and there are concerns it will never go ahead, because three of the men charged with his murder have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail. They are still working for the army's special forces, and one of them has been promoted. Mathipa was killed as he was driving home along a motorway outside Pretoria. The BBC World Service has been given exclusive access to the prosecution case against all the men.