Police Officer
In 1971, Neethling founded the South African Police (SAP) forensics unit and in succeeding years was awarded seven SAP medals for forensic work undertaken. By the late 1970s, he had risen rapidly to become SAP's second-in-command, chief deputy commissioner.
On 20 October 1986, following Mozambique president Samora Machel's death in an air crash in South Africa, General Neethling confiscated the aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders at the scene of the crash. Reportedly on instructions from foreign minister, Pik Botha, he then refused to allow International Civil Aviation Organization and SA Civil Aviation Bureau (CAB) crash investigators access to the flight recorders. CAB director, Rennie van Zyl, had to serve a writ on Botha and Neethling before eventually receiving the two recorders on 11 November 1986. The three-week delay in starting the crash investigation was confirmed by SAP Colonel Des Lynch in evidence to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2001.
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