Kaapse Forum takes SAPS to task for removing Kinnear widow’s protection detail

Kaapse Forum, a civil rights organization, has urgently called for the reinstatement of Nicolette Kinnear’s security detail, widow of the murdered Lt Col Charl Kinnear, in a letter addressed to Maj Gen Vincent Beaton, the Western Cape District Commissioner. The withdrawal of the security detail was based on a confidential intelligence report containing factually incorrect information, exemplifying misleading and false intelligence.

The report falsely claims that Lt Col Kinnear attended a meeting in 2021, a year after his demise in September 2020. Kaapse Forum questions the reliability of the report, highlighting the fundamental error and emphasizing the need for certainty regarding the safety of the Kinnear family. Possessing the confidential document detailing this error, Kaapse Forum contends that the Kinnear family’s protection is crucial, especially for Nicolette Kinnear’s testimony in court.

The organization challenges the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prioritize the family’s safety, asserting that SAPS must uphold their human rights and ensure protection without intimidation for those involved in legal proceedings. The withdrawal of the security detail, occurring just before Charl Kinnear’s murder trial, raises concerns about the family’s vulnerability.

Charl Kinnear, a detective, was assassinated in September 2020, shortly after his state protection detail was withdrawn. The infamous assassination of Anti-Gang Unit chief, at the hands of gang-connected assassins with alleged cooperation of SAPS officers in 2020, followed shortly after comments by Kinnear that the provincial head of crime intelligence, Major-General Mzwandile Tiyo, was colluding with organised crime.

The trial, investigating his murder and his investigations into a gun racketeering case, commenced recently in the Western Cape High Court, though the prosecuting authority segregated the case to keep the investigation into corrupt officers involved in the plot out of the case against the gang members who carried it out.

Connections between SAPS and organised crime have been institutionalised since a pact between the ANC and the gangs in 2011, which caused the rapidly falling homicide rate in the Western Cape to quickly bounce back up to the highest in the country.

Nicolette Kinnear had previously faced the withdrawal of her security detail in June 2021, prompting her to address the matter at the highest levels of SAPS. The recent withdrawal of the security detail, one day before the trial began, intensifies the call for reinstatement.

Cape Forum’s plea underscores the importance of safeguarding those involved in legal actions, stressing that justice can only be served when individuals can testify without fear. The unresolved issue of culpable homicide, filed against those involved in withdrawing Charl Kinnear’s security, further complicates the situation, prompting a call for accountability within SAPS.

The case exposes systemic concerns about the adequacy and reliability of intelligence, the safety of those engaged in legal proceedings, and the responsibility of law enforcement to ensure protection and justice. As the trial unfolds, the reinstatement of Nicolette Kinnear’s security detail becomes a pressing demand, emphasizing the broader challenges in securing the rights and safety of those fighting for justice in South Africa.

‍