Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) boss Major-General André Lincoln is allegedly being investigated for failing to protect slain detective Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear.
According to a police document leaked to the Daily Voice on Thursday, Lincoln was given notice by SAPS of alleged misconduct and a pending investigation in terms of the SAPS disciplinary regulations.
The formal notice, which lists two charges against Lincoln, alleges that he failed to deploy protection over a two-week period, from 3 to 18 September 2020.
The second charge states that Lincoln allegedly failed to inform the Western Cape provincial police commissioner as well as the provincial head for Crime Intelligence of the threat.
While the notice does not name Kinnear, questions have arisen about the time frame stipulated, as Kinnear was gunned down in his car on 18 September outside his Bishop Lavis home.
It later emerged that protection was removed from Kinnear’s home and his cellphone was allegedly pinged by ex-rugby player, Zane Kilian, who has been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful interception of communication.
The shooter is yet to be arrested.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo would not confirm or deny whether an investigation against Lincoln was underway, saying SAPS would not confirm any investigation whether the person was a public servant or a private individual.
Kinnear’s widow, Nicolette, told the Daily Voice she was unable to comment on the document as she did not have enough information, but says she has been petitioning Parliament for a report on why police protection was removed from her home.
“I am not in SAPS and I don’t know what the protocol is. My questions pertain to why the guarding was removed, the instruction, etc, knowing that we came under attack. My husband wasn’t attacked, we as a family were attacked.”
Lincoln could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a second document leaked to the Daily Voice outlines the timeline of events pertaining to the threats.
According to the letter, allegedly written by Lincoln to provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata in January 2020, he recommended that Kinnear be redeployed to the Sea Point Police Station.
The letter states that AGU officers were instructed to carry out static duties at Kinnear’s home after the murder of Colonel André Kay, who was killed in November 2019, and the unit received information about the threat to the lives of four officers, including Kinnear.
It also says that a meeting was scheduled to discuss the matter with Matakata on 22 November, but this was later cancelled.
A few weeks later protection was removed from Kinnear’s home and, the letter says, this was due to the need to redeploy the officers for the festive period.
It also states that no further information was provided about the threats against Kinnear and that some AGU officers claimed Kinnear was given preferential treatment.