The former Newcastle Community Police Forum (CPF) members accused of the 2022 murder of 26-year-old Khulekani Hlatshwayo have been found not guilty of all charges following their recent appearance at the Newcastle Magistrate’s Court.
Ismaeel Dhalech and Ebrahim Adams were the final two defendants to be cleared, after the court previously acquitted Yaseen Mohamed and Mahomed Ashraf of all charges relating to the incident.
These charges stemmed from a December 2022 incident in Lennoxton, Newcastle, where Hlatshwayo was allegedly beaten following a reported burglary and subsequently died from his injuries.
Following a lengthy investigation, the Newcastle SAPS arrested the four men on 23 September 2024. At the time of the arrests, Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam detailed the gravity of the discovery. She said: “On 25 December 2022, ambulance services responded to a call on Bird Street in which a 26-year-old man was found lying naked in an open field, brutally beaten.”
The victim suffered extensive injuries and died while being transported to the hospital. While the Newcastle SAPS conducted a thorough initial investigation, no clear leads emerged until August 2024. Arumugam noted the breakthrough in the case: “The investigating team, led by Warrant Officer Henning De Meyer, were presented with key information by an informant that significantly advanced the investigation.”
As the case progressed, it emerged that the four accused, who were CPF members at the time, had allegedly responded to a burglary in progress on Lincoln Street. It was alleged that the deceased was attempting to force entry into a property before fleeing on foot, where he was subsequently chased and assaulted by both the crime fighters and local residents.
In November 2025, Ashraf and Mohamed were released after the court found no evidence linking them to the death of Hlatshwayo. After a legal battle spanning nearly two years, Magistrate S. Sibisi delivered the final judgment, finding both Dhalech and Adams not guilty on all charges.
According to Sibisi, the state had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants had participated in the assault with the intention of killing Hlatshwayo.
Magistrate Sibisi clarified the legal standing of the verdict. She said: “The onus relied on the State prosecution to prove the accused guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. The onus lies not with the accused to prove their innocence.”
The Magistrate explained that after careful consideration of witness testimony and a comprehensive evaluation of the evidence, the state had failed to meet the required legal threshold. She further noted: shortcomings in the investigation conducted by the SAPS contributed significantly to this outcome.
