Dear Mr Cachalia,
I write to you in desperation.
In March 2023, Bouwer van Niekerk wrote an opinion piece for News24. The murder of his fellow liquidators Cloete Murray and his son Thomas that past Saturday, said Van Niekerk, was “a stark reminder that those who are willing to investigate the trees with possibly very big, rotten roots may end up facing the deadliest of winds.” He continued:
“What is the profession to make of these brutal killings? Are liquidators to live in fear of some dreadful fate that may befall them if they act as such in a highly contentious matter? … Is this what we as professionals should now sign up for?”
It was chillingly prescient. Last Friday, Van Niekerk was shot dead in his own office by people posing as clients.
Bouwer van Niekerk. Murray Cloete. Thomas Cloete. Those names have caught the public’s attention recently. I could also refer you to others who were working on corruption and criminal syndicates:
- Simnikiwe Mapini, adjudicator, City of Ekurhuleni Finance Department, who was shot dead at a traffic light in Germiston on 8 December 2023;
- Zenzele Benedict Sithole, senior investigator, City of Johannesburg Group Forensics & Investigation Services (GFIS), who was shot dead in July 2024 in Johannesburg’s CBD;
- Simangaliso Zwane, community activist/whistleblower from Vryheid (KZN), who was shot dead in July 2024;
- Pamela Mabini, community activist and whistleblower (notably in the Omotoso trafficking case), who was shot dead on 7 March 2025 in Gqeberha;
- Mpho Mafole, Group Divisional Head: Corporate & Forensic Audits, City of Ekurhuleni, who was shot dead on 30 June 2025 in Kempton Park;
- Advocate Coreth Naudé, Sars advocate/attorney, who narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July 2024 in uMhlanga, Durban.
There are many more. These serve as gruesome examples. In some cases, arrests have been made; in several others, nothing has happened. The Murray murders are no closer to resolution.
What is South Africa to make of this, Mr Minister? You have just taken over this critical role. What will happen with the investigation this time round? Will a 12-year-old boy ever know who killed his father, and more importantly, who ordered the hit? Will the Murray murders finally be properly investigated?
Please talk to us, Mr Minister. Take us into your confidence. Tell us what is being done, who is charged with this hugely important investigation, and how it is proceeding. Tell us what is happening with the Murray investigation, and why it has taken so very long.
We need you. We need the police (and the justice system) in all its shapes and sizes, from the Hawks to the SIU. We need to be able to trust you. Please make it possible for us to do that again.
The mafia state was created by people. People can also undo it. You can and must take the lead.
Yours in desperation
Ruda Landman