Hawks arrest man who threatened to assassinate officials for ‘lying’ about Covid-19

A 58-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly threatening senior government officials for "lying" about the existence of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, the Hawks said on Monday.

He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and intimidation.

Hawks spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale said the man was arrested on Thursday.

In addition to threatening government officials, Mogale said last month the man had "continuously stalked some members from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation [the Hawks] with threatening messages and death threats".

“He also claimed to be responsible for the recent deaths of two Hawks members in Mahikeng during a standoff with cash-in-transit robbers."

Mogale said the man was arrested at his girlfriend’s home in Ratanda, south of Heidelberg, following an ongoing investigation.

He was expected to appear in the Germiston magistrate’s court on Monday.