By Thapelo Molefe
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has said that investigators are closing in on the killers of Marius van der Merwe, with three persons of interest identified and one already questioned.
Briefing the media in Saulsville on Monday evening before travelling to Brakpan — where Van der Merwe lived and was shot in front of his wife and children — Masemola said police were making steady progress.
“We are confident that soon we will register a breakthrough as police remain on high alert for those behind the killing of Mr Van der Merwe. Save to say, investigations are on the right track,” he said.
He added that the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), together with the Madlanga Commission, had put in place measures to enhance security for all commission witnesses and officials.
Masemola further appealed to the public to support law enforcement during the festive period.
“Remember, if you see something, say something… we also request our communities to assist us to take down these hardened criminals,” he said.
Van der Merwe — the owner of a private security company — was a key witness before the Madlanga Commission, and testified anonymously as Witness D.
The commission is probing criminality, political interference, and corruption in South Africa’s criminal justice system.
He was shot and killed outside his Brakpan home last Friday evening. His wife and children, who were with him, escaped unharmed. Nothing was taken, suggesting a targeted hit.
Last month, Van der Merwe told the commission that since suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi instructed officers to dispose of a tortured suspect’s body to conceal the death. Mkhwanazi has denied the allegation.
Van der Merwe’s murder has intensified concerns about witness safety, with civil society repeatedly calling for stronger protections.
Police units, including crime intelligence, serious and violent crime investigators, and ballistics experts, confirmed that an AK-47 assault rifle was used in the attack on Van der Merwe. A manhunt is underway for the gunmen, the mastermind behind the killing, and the weapon.
INSIDE POLITICS