By Marcus Moloko
Marius van der Merwe, also known as Witness D, testified at the Madlanga Commission and detailed allegations of a murder cover-up implicating suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief, Julius Mkhwanazi.
His words now carry even greater weight, as his murder underscores the dangers faced by whistleblowers in South Africa.
Witness D, later identified as Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, appeared before the Madlanga Commission in November.
His testimony was considered one of the most explosive sessions of the inquiry, which was established to probe political violence and alleged police misconduct.
Weeks later, on 5 December 2025, he was ambushed outside his home in Brakpan and shot dead with an AK-47 in what police described as a targeted hit.
Here’s what van der Merwe told the Madlanga Commission:
Van der Merwe alleged that the 2022 killing of a robbery suspect in Brakpan was deliberately concealed.
He testified that senior officials, including Mkhwanazi, orchestrated a cover-up to protect officers accused of torture and unlawful killing.
He claimed that official reports were altered to disguise the true circumstances of the suspect’s death. According to his account, internal documents were falsified to present the killing as a lawful police operation, despite evidence of brutality.
Witness D told the commission that individuals who could corroborate the cover-up were threatened into silence.
He described a climate of fear within the EMPD, where whistle-blowers were warned of retaliation if they spoke out.
Weeks after delivering this testimony, Witness D was assassinated. Police confirmed that he was ambushed outside his home in Brakpan while waiting for his gate to open. Gunmen armed with an AK-47 opened fire before fleeing the scene.
Witness D’s testimony, though silenced by his assassination, remains a critical part of the Madlanga Commission’s record, according to former EFF member Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
“And some in the palaces of political expediency seek to defend those who are supported by what is a clear conspiracy to subvert our democracy and hand it over to organised criminals. Witness D’s testimony is on record. His soul will speak beyond the grave. Evil will not win,” wrote Ndlozi in a tweet.
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