Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D, was gunned down outside his home in Brakpan on Friday night after testifying about alleged police torture. The killing has prompted a national manhunt and vows from President Cyril Ramaphosa to strengthen whistleblower protections. Authorities are investigating possible links to his testimony or anti-illegal mining efforts.
Marius 'Vlam' van der Merwe, a 41-year-old founder of QRF Task Team security firm, was fatally shot in front of his wife Leanne McClein and their two children outside their Brenthurst home on Gauld Street, Brakpan, around 8:30pm on Friday. Eyewitness accounts and police reports indicate gunmen ambushed the family as they waited for the gate to open, using an AK-47 before fleeing. Van der Merwe, who was not under witness protection despite declining it, lay dead with his holstered gun still on him, covered by a police blanket at the scene.
Van der Merwe had recently testified as Witness D before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, detailing a 2022 incident in Sallies Village near Vulcania Industrial Complex where he witnessed the torture and killing of a hijacking suspect. He described how South African Police Service (SAPS) officers, including Constable Juan-Mare Eksteen and Zander Fritz, and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) members Kersha-Leigh Stols and Aiden McKenzie, along with others like Wiandre Pretorius, used 'tubing'—suffocation with a blue SAPS forensic bag—on the suspect. The man, who admitted to a warehouse robbery and offered a R500,000 bribe, was immobilized on a bed, doused with water, and later declared dead. Pretorius allegedly said, 'He will never talk again.'
Now-suspended EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi arrived at the scene and ordered the body disposed of in a mineshaft or river, according to Van der Merwe's testimony; sources conflict on whether it was a river or dam. Mkhwanazi, sweating during cross-examination, admitted his involvement. Van der Merwe, feeling outnumbered, complied but later testified, saying he had no chance to disagree and feared for his life.
The murder has intensified scrutiny on whistleblower safety. President Ramaphosa condemned the 'heinous' act, stating, 'We will redouble our efforts to protect whistleblowers.' A NATJOINTS meeting with Commission officials agreed to enhance security measures. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe noted investigations extend to illegal mining, as Van der Merwe's firm assisted in coal mine theft prevention and the Plastic City cleanup, a former illegal miners' hub razed in October. Two weeks prior, Van der Merwe reported a road-ramming attempt and gunfight near the site, telling media, 'I believe my days were numbered.'
Political reactions poured in: DA's Glynnis Breytenbach called it an 'attack on the rule of law,' while the EFF labeled it a 'calculated message' to silence witnesses. The Good Party's Brett Herron highlighted Mkhwanazi's implication. A national manhunt continues, with National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola briefing Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
