Official Reports: Government & Court Records

Summary of Key Findings

• Luke Edwards was last seen alive at Mooi Hawens at 01:30 on 9 April 2025 — CCTV confirmed, clothed and uninjured
• Body discovered at 05:20 inside Mooi Hawens property — not at TRC
• Last witness: Mooi Hawens security guard who provided water and conversed with Luke
• "There is no current evidence directly implicating Tetelestai staff in Mr Luke Edwards' death"
• Report sent to media enquiries but findings were ignored by journalists

"The location where his body was found was not within the Tetelestai Recovery Centre premises, but rather at the facilities of a nearby retirement home adjacent to Tetelestai Recovery Centre. There is no current evidence directly implicating Tetelestai staff in Mr Luke Edwards' death." — Nicholus Khumalo, DOH Confidential Report, 9 July 2025

"The DPP officially decided to abandon all murder charges (murder happened on 9 April 2025). Charges were reduced to Attempted Murder (for 7-8 April) and Kidnapping. The reason cited was no evidence to proceed with murder charges against anyone." — Master Litigation Timeline [REF-035]; Court Proceedings 15 January 2026

On 24 April 2026, the State Prosecutor confirmed in open court that murder charges were abandoned in January per the DPP letter. Trial dates were set for Attempted Murder and Kidnapping only — 28 September to 13 October 2026.

Key Testimony & Rulings

Sgt. Khanyase — Body Location (Under Oath)

"Then in the morning of the night, then I was, myself and my colleague were summoned to a crime scene where the deceased was found to be lying dead inside the Mooi Hawens. That is the old age centre, Your Worship. It's just about, it's just across the Tetelestai facility, the facility. If you walk in there, it could take you plus minus two to three minutes to get to that building." — Sgt. Kenneth Dumisani Khanyase, Bail Hearing, 9 July 2025, Umlazi Regional Court

Sgt. Khanyase — Brad Nathanson Present During Investigation

Sgt. Khanyase confirmed under oath during cross-examination that Brad Nathanson was present during the investigation interviews at TRC on 5 June 2025 — while Brad's PSIRA registration had lapsed and Alan McAslan was not a registered Private Investigator. (Sgt. Khanyase was subsequently reported for disciplinary review, Ref: KZN 33/07/2025, for allowing unregistered individuals to supplant his role as Investigating Officer; reported to Lt. Gen Mkwanazi, IPID and SAPS, with departmental charges instituted.) — Bail Hearing Transcript, page 42 [REF-013]

Magistrate's Finding — No Evidence; Bail Granted

This is the central ruling of the bail hearing:

"There is no evidence to suggest otherwise. In fact, there is a case law which indicates that if the State wants to say that he's likely to commit any of those factors listed, that the State should provide evidence in that regard. To say that there's a likelihood of him doing this without providing evidence is not sufficient." — Magistrate, Bail Hearing, 9 July 2025 — Bail granted at R2,000 each [REF-025]

The Magistrate granted bail precisely because there was no evidence linking the accused to the murder. Sgt. Khanyase's case rested on an incoherent written statement, ignored the 01:30 Mooi Hawens CCTV showing Luke alive and uninjured, and relied solely on unverified statements from other patients with no eyewitnesses to any killing.

"If a person is killed, as per the Court documents, on 9 April 2025, and persons who were in the same establishment with the deceased and the so-called witnesses are only arrested on 26 June 2025, about two months down the line, it gives one to doubt if those witnesses are alive and without any further clarification as to why the witnesses are alive. Even if they have an 18 number, 18 is not a big number, that these witnesses, they could not give an account of what happened, if they actually saw what happened, so that the police can then do their job. So this alone shows that maybe even the police were not sure as to who is implicated in this matter and if so and how is the person implicated. Hence, such a long time before arrest could have effected. And on the evidence that is presented, it shows that clearly there is no direct evidence, it's a consensual evidence, which is subject to a lot of qualifying factors during trial. So this shows that the evidence at this time is weak." — Magistrate's Judgment, Bail Hearing, 9 July 2025, Umlazi Regional Court (C/425/2025)

Bail Granted All four accused granted bail of R2,000 each. Reason: no evidence against the accused. Masa Kekana (Carte Blanche) was present in court but did not report this finding in the 3 August 2025 broadcast.

TRC's Appeal Letter (22 October 2025) — Key Sections Addressing DSD Claims

1. Staffing Compliment Remains Fully Compliant
The Department's finding that TRC's staffing structure is non-compliant or insufficient is incorrect and misleading.
Our staff compliment remains exactly the same as when registration was approved on 13 March 2025. There have been no staff resignations, dismissals, or operational downgrades since that date.
Therefore, the Department's assertion that the facility no longer meets minimum staffing norms carries no factual basis and directly contradicts its own earlier findings when registration was granted under identical staffing conditions.

— DSD Appeal Letter, 22 October 2025

2. Lease Agreement Not a Requirement for Registration
It appears the Department's decision was influenced by issues relating to our lease agreement and the landlord.
We submit that:
• The Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act (Act 70 of 2008) and the Minimum Norms and Standards do not require a lease agreement as a condition of registration.
• Civil or contractual disputes between a tenant and a landlord fall outside the legislative authority of the Department.
• The Centre remains fully operational, compliant with all health, safety, and fire regulations, and continues to provide essential rehabilitation services to service users in accordance with approved treatment protocols.

It is therefore unreasonable and ultra vires for the Department to cancel registration based on private property or lease-related matters that have no bearing on service delivery or client care.

— DSD Appeal Letter, 22 October 2025

The Appeal demonstrates that the cancellation was not based on the reasons publicly claimed by Brad Nathanson or reported by media. Full documents available in Supporting Evidence and Registration File folders.

Brad Nathanson's PSIRA registration had lapsed at the time he conducted interrogations at TRC on 5 June 2025 in the presence of Sgt. Khanyase. Alan McAslan was never registered as a Private Investigator. Criminal charges were laid; PSIRA officially opened case CAS 47/03/2026 in March 2026.