By Johnathan Paoli
In a tense and deeply unsettling appearance before the Madlanga Commission on Friday, a protected witness identified only as Witness D delivered explosive testimony that strengthened earlier allegations of torture, murder, and organised criminality involving members of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).
The witness, a private-security operator whose identity and appearance were concealed, said what he saw still kept him up at night.
“I knew if I didn’t speak now, the truth would die with that man,” he testified.
The first and most disturbing revelation centred on a suspect who was allegedly tortured and suffocated during a joint operation on 15 April 2022.
Witness D recounted in chilling detail how officers dragged the man into a room, placed a plastic bag over his head, and used water in an apparent “tubing” method meant to induce asphyxiation.
According to him, the victim pleaded for his life, at
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
