A South African accountant and his son were killed while investigating high-level corruption cases.
Cloete Murray, 50, was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company embroiled in a slew of government contracting scandals.
He also worked as a liquidator for companies linked to the wealthy Gupta brothers, who deny any wrongdoing.
Police will investigate whether there is a connection between Mr. Murray’s murder and these corruption investigations.
On Saturday, Mr. Murray was shot by unknown gunmen while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old son Thomas, a legal adviser.
His son died at the scene, while Mr. Murray was taken to the hospital and later died from his injuries, according to local media and a police spokesperson.
According to South African media, the couple was driving their white Toyota Prado toward their home in Pretoria.
Mr. Murray’s job as a court-appointed company liquidator was to investigate the accounts of failed businesses, recover assets, and report any criminal activity.
Bosasa, a government contractor specializing in prison services, was one of those companies.
The landmark Zondo commission into corruption concluded that the company bribed politicians and government officials extensively to obtain government contracts during Jacob Zuma’s nine-year presidency, from 2009 to 2018.
Mr. Zuma has refused to cooperate with the investigation but has denied all allegations of corruption.
In 2018, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that he would repay Bosasa’s $35,000 (£27,300) donation.
An anti-corruption investigator determined he lied to parliament about the donation, but the country’s High Court overturned that finding.
Mr. Ramaphosa has also been accused of corruption, which he denies.
Bosasa went into voluntary liquidation after its bank accounts were closed.
Mr. Murray was also a liquidator for companies associated with the Gupta brothers. The Zondo commission found that the brothers – Ajay, Rajesh, and Atul – tried to influence political and economic decisions during Mr. Zuma’s presidency in a process known as “state capture”.
The Guptas relocated from India to South Africa in 1993, where they established a diverse portfolio of businesses that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned enterprises.
South African authorities are currently attempting to extradite the Gupta brothers from the UAE, where they have been detained, to stand trial.
They have denied allegations that they paid financial bribes to win contracts.
