US EditionWitness in Madlanga Commission shot dead in Brakpan
The killing follows testimony implicating suspended EMPD cop Julius Mkhwanazi; it is the second witness death linked to the inquiry into police corruption.
- One of the witnesses who testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry was shot dead in Brakpan on Friday evening on the East Rand.
- Amid the Madlanga Commission hearings, the shooting coincides with allegations of rot, corruption and interference in the police and criminal-justice system, with the victim believed to have implicated suspended EMPD top cop Julius Mkhwanazi.
- The deceased had earlier testified in November 2025 as Witness D, implicating Julius Mkhwanazi; this killing follows a drive-by shooting of informant Jaco Hanekom and marks a second witness death linked to Mkhwanazi.
- Gauteng Acting Police Commissioner Fred Kekana said investigations link a white Nissan MP200 with a canopy to the scene and mobilised national and provincial forensic ballistics resources.
- Earlier this week Mkhwanazi denied payments from tenderpreneur Vusimuzi `Cat` Matlala were bribes, while facing allegations tied to the 2022 Brakpan incident and unlawful blue lights.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Condemnation after Madlanga Commission witness assassinated
Political and law-enforcement leaders have condemned the assassination of Marius van der Merwe, a key witness before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System (Madlanga Commission). Van der Merwe, a Brakpan-based security industry professional and former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) official, was gunned down in front of his family outside their …
Witness D who implicated EMPD Deputy Chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, was shot dead outside his home
Witness D who implicated EMPD Deputy Chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, was shot dead outside his home Ntandoyenkosi… Sat, 12/06/2025 - 11:00 EKURHULENI - Marius van der Merwe, also known as Witness D in the Madlanga commission proceedings, was shot dead outside his home in Brakpan. Van der Merwe testified in November that EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi told him to dispose of a body.Speaking at the Madlanga Commission, Van der Merwe said that he inte…
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