Meet the rogue soldiers who allegedly killed top cop, kidnapped ISIS bosses episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 24, 2025 · 32 MIN

Meet the rogue soldiers who allegedly killed top cop, kidnapped ISIS bosses

from The Lead · host News24

A dozen former and current South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are, as we speak, in police custody in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective. In 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa was shot and killed near Hammanskraal Toll Plaza. Mathipa was tasked with investigating an alleged abduction involving SANDF members as suspects. It’s alleged these elite soldiers, so-called “Recces”, kidnapped two prominent local Islamic State members from the Mall of Africa in 2022. The two are still missing and are now presumed dead. News24 journalists Bernadette Wicks and Tankiso Makhetha join us on The Lead to piece together this intriguing puzzle. Later in the show, host Graeme Raubenheimer looks into how Johannesburg has settled its massive Eskom debt to keep the lights on. Finally, former Cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba temporarily halts the broadcasting of a tell-all Showmax episode about the intimate details of his personal life. You can now send a short voice note of 15 to 20 seconds with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that’s: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to [email protected]. Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube. 

A dozen former and current South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are, as we speak, in police custody in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective. In 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa was shot and killed near Hammanskraal Toll Plaza. Mathipa was tasked with investigating an alleged abduction involving SANDF members as suspects. It’s alleged these elite soldiers, so-called “Recces”, kidnapped two prominent local Islamic State members from the Mall of Africa in 2022. The two are still missing and are now presumed dead. News24 journalists Bernadette Wicks and Tankiso Makhetha join us on The Lead to piece together this intriguing puzzle. Later in the show, host Graeme Raubenheimer looks into how Johannesburg has settled its massive Eskom debt to keep the lights on. Finally, former Cabinet minister Malusi Gigaba temporarily halts the broadcasting of a tell-all Showmax episode about the intimate details of his personal life. You can now send a short voice note of 15 to 20 seconds with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that’s: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to [email protected]. Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.

NOW PLAYING

Meet the rogue soldiers who allegedly killed top cop, kidnapped ISIS bosses

0:00 32:57

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Lead?

This episode is 32 minutes long.

When was this The Lead episode published?

This episode was published on June 24, 2025.

What is this episode about?

A dozen former and current South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are, as we speak, in police custody in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective. In 2023, Lieutenant Colonel Ngwako Frans Mathipa was shot and killed near...

Can I download this The Lead episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!