Johannesburg - Corruption Watch has called on law-enforcement and the authorities to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation into the killing of Cloete Murray and his son, Tom Murray.
The pair was killed in what many believe to be an assassination in Midrand last week.
Murray was an accountant known for investigating high-profile corruption cases.
On Thursday, Corruption Watch and Transparency International said they strongly condemned the killing of Murray, which is a threat to whistle-blowing.
Executive director for Corruption Watch Karam Singh said they wanted law-enforcement agencies to act swiftly against those responsible for the death of the anti-corruption defender who was investigating the Bosasa corruption scandal among other investigations.
“South Africa is facing a crisis in terms of the rule of law, as levels of public confidence in our law-enforcement capabilities —not to mention the political will to hold criminals and the corrupt accountable —have dropped to an all-time low. As the most recent example, the brazen murder of Cloete Murray and his son sends a chilling and intimidating message to anyone seeking to end impunity for corruption and crime. This must represent a turning of the tide for our country.
“Authorities must act now to urgently investigate this case and take steps to strengthen crime-fighting apparatuses and institutions. Failure to investigate this killing as a matter of the highest priority will have a devastating impact on the struggle to curb violence and corruption,” Singh said.
On Saturday, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) was deeply disturbed by the shocking and brutal manner in which Murray and his son were murdered.
Murray is a well-known liquidator who has worked on various matters, including the Bosasa liquidation as well as Comair.
Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said the union had worked closely with Murray, who was a reputed liquidator and also involved at SAA as a member of the airline’s employment committee, representing workers’ interests, during SAA’s business rescue.
“Numsa is deeply saddened by the passing of Mr Murray and his son. We send our deepest condolences to his family and to his friends and colleagues. We call on the SAPS to find those who are responsible for this heinous crime,” Jim added.
The Star