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Killing of Charl Kinnear

ONGOING2020Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Charl Kinnear was shot and killed at around 15:03 SAST on 18 September 2020 as he arrived at his home in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa. He was struck multiple times in the upper body while seated in the driver's seat of his white Toyota Corolla, and died from his injuries. Kinnear was a lieutenant colonel in the South African Police Service (SAPS), working as a detective and section commander for the Western Cape anti-gang unit known as Team C.

At the time of his death, Kinnear was investigating a gun racketeering case that allegedly involved organised crime figure Nafiz Modack and eight high-ranking police officers. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) reported that Kinnear's death could jeopardise a number of high-profile organised crime investigations he had been conducting. The same IPID report referenced the existence of a "rogue unit" within the Western Cape Crime Intelligence Division of SAPS and praised Kinnear's work investigating corruption within the organisation.

Former semi-professional rugby player Zane Killian was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with Kinnear's murder. Investigators found that Kinnear's mobile phone had been illegally tracked 2,116 times prior to his murder using specialised tracking software accessible via a web browser on a phone or computer, allegedly by Killian.

In 2021, Modack and two additional suspects, Amaal Jantjies and Janick Adonis, were arrested and charged in connection with Kinnear's murder. Recordings made by Jantjies indicated that an earlier, unsuccessful attempt on Kinnear's life had occurred on 23 November 2019, when a hand grenade failed to detonate outside his home. Following that failed attempt, a police protective detail was assigned to guard Kinnear's home, but this detail was withdrawn on 19 December 2019.

By January 2022, IPID had lodged two criminal charges against National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole for allegedly refusing to cooperate with the directorate's investigation into Kinnear's murder.

In April 2022, one suspect, Fareez Smith, a self-described member of the Junky Funky Kids street gang, pleaded guilty to attempting to assassinate Kinnear at his home in November 2019. According to the account, Smith's attempt failed when the grenade he had been given fell out of his pocket in view of police officers stationed outside Kinnear's residence. Smith was convicted of attempted murder, illegal possession of explosives, and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

The broader murder case, including the charges against Killian, Modack, Jantjies, and Adonis, remained before the courts as of the available reporting.

Key facts

Victims
Charl Kinnear
Date
2020
Location
Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa
Case status
ongoing

Case timeline

  1. 2019-11-23

    A hand grenade intended to kill Kinnear failed to detonate outside his home; Fareez Smith later pleaded guilty to this attempted assassination.

  2. 2019-12-19

    Police protective detail guarding Kinnear's home, assigned after the failed November attempt, was withdrawn.

  3. 2020-09-18

    Charl Kinnear was shot multiple times and killed while arriving at his home in Bishop Lavis, Cape Town.

  4. 2020-09

    Zane Killian was arrested shortly after the murder and charged with Kinnear's killing.

  5. 2021

    Nafiz Modack, Amaal Jantjies, and Janick Adonis were arrested and charged in connection with Kinnear's murder.

  6. 2022-01

    IPID lodged two criminal charges against National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole for refusing to cooperate with the murder investigation.

  7. 2022-04

    Fareez Smith pleaded guilty to attempted murder, illegal possession of explosives, and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for the November 2019 grenade attack on Kinnear.

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People

  • Khehla Sitole

    CHARGED

    National Police Commissioner against whom IPID lodged two criminal charges in January 2022 for refusing to cooperate with the investigation into Kinnear's murder.

  • Amaal Jantjies

    CHARGED

    Charged in 2021 in connection with Kinnear's murder; recordings made by Jantjies indicated a prior failed assassination attempt on Kinnear.

  • Zane Killian

    CHARGED

    Former semi-professional rugby player charged with Kinnear's murder; alleged to have illegally tracked Kinnear's mobile phone 2,116 times before the killing.

  • Fareez Smith

    CONVICTED

    Self-described member of the Junky Funky Kids street gang; pleaded guilty in April 2022 to attempted murder, illegal possession of explosives, and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for a failed November 2019 grenade attack on Kinnear.

  • Janick Adonis

    CHARGED

    Charged in 2021 in connection with Kinnear's murder.

  • Charl Kinnear

    VICTIM

    SAPS lieutenant colonel and section commander for the Western Cape anti-gang unit Team C, shot and killed outside his home on 18 September 2020.

  • Nafiz Modack

    CHARGED

    Alleged organised crime boss charged in 2021 in connection with Kinnear's murder; Kinnear had been investigating a gun racketeering case allegedly involving Modack.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa

-33.9462, 18.5896

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Charl Kinnear, a South African Police Service lieutenant colonel investigating organised crime, was shot dead outside his Cape Town home on 18 September 2020; several people have since been charged, including alleged crime boss Nafiz Modack.
Where did the killing happen?
Bishop Lavis, Cape Town, South Africa.
Who was convicted?
Fareez Smith (Self-described member of the Junky Funky Kids street gang; pleaded guilty in April 2022 to attempted murder, illegal possession of explosives, and contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act for a failed November 2019 grenade attack on Kinnear.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: ongoing.
More cases in South Africa

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Charl KinnearWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSKinnear suspect Zane Kilian believed to have played a key role in assassination plot, charged with murderdailymaverick.co.za · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSAnti-gang unit section commander Charl Kinnear shot in Cape Towntimeslive.co.za · 2026-07-10