In a shocking turn of events, seven members of South Africa's special forces and one military police officer have been charged with the murder of Lt Col Frans Mathipa, a highly respected detective who was investigating a sensitive case involving an alleged Islamic State militant. The men deny the charges, but three of them have refused to comply with a court order revoking their bail and continue to work for the army's special forces, one even being promoted. This incident has caused consternation in South Africa, one of Africa's most robust democracies, as concerns grow that the country's military may be overstepping its mandate. The BBC World Service has been given exclusive access to the prosecution case against all the men, which presents a compelling case that South Africa's special forces are responsible for Mathipa's murder. Evidence suggests that the vehicle that trailed Mathipa before his death was registered to a front company for the special forces, and tracking data found in that vehicle places it at the scene of the shooting. The case Mathipa was investigating centered on an Ethiopian man who had been granted temporary asylum in South Africa but was later arrested abroad. After his arrest, he was smuggled back into the country by the South African military and Department of Home Affairs to be used as an intelligence asset. However, he allegedly went rogue and began extorting Johannesburg's Ethiopian neighborhood, with the money reportedly funding Islamic State. Mathipa was investigating allegations that special forces had then gone on to abduct and kill this man in December 2022, who the United States had put under sanctions earlier that year as an IS recruiter and fundraiser. The South African army and Department of Home Affairs have not responded to questions about their roles in these events. This case highlights the potential for military overreach and raises serious questions about accountability within South Africa's special forces.