A 57-year-old former police general faces charges for unlawful possession of ammunition discovered during a murder investigation raid.
Investigators found more than 100 rounds of South African Police Service (SAPS)-issued ammunition, including R5 and 9mm calibers, at the Centurion home of a 57-year-old former SAPS general. The discovery occurred during a raid on July 6, 2026, related to the murder investigation of former deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi. SAPS confirmed the arrest on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, stating the former general left the service in 2009 and has no valid reason for possessing the ammunition.
The former general now faces a charge of unlawful possession of ammunition under the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000. His identity has not been released pending his first court appearance. The arrest adds a new dimension to the ongoing investigation into Mfazi’s death, which was initially attributed to COVID-19 complications but is now being treated as a murder case following evidence of a poisonous substance detected after his body was exhumed.
While police seized documents and electronic devices potentially relevant to Mfazi’s murder, they have not disclosed if the ammunition discovery is directly linked to the former commissioner's death, nor has the former general been charged with Mfazi’s murder. The suspect is scheduled to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Why it mattersA former police general is facing charges for possessing ammunition, impacting the ongoing murder investigation of a high-ranking former police official.
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