Matipandile Sotheni, facing 16 counts linked to the murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe, told a court he learned of the killing only through television reports and denied any involvement in a plot.
Sotheni, a former Special Task Force member arrested in March, appeared at the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court for a bail hearing. In an affidavit he admitted driving around Brakpan with Viandre Pretorius but insisted the meetings were not connected to any plan to kill van der Merwe.
He denied owning multiple firearms or an AK-47 rifle, stating the only such weapon he had handled belonged to his former employer, Mr. Muhammad Saeed, and that he lost access after leaving the job in October 2024. Through his lawyer Nthabiseng Mahomane, Sotheni argued the state’s case is weak and cannot prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The state prosecutor, Advocate Nqobile Maphalala, opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the deceased was a key witness expected to give crucial evidence in related proceedings. The matter was postponed to Thursday, 21 May 2026 for further hearings.
