Witness D in Madlanga Commission killed in Brakpan shooting

A witness who testified at the Madlanga Commission, Marius van der Merwe, commonly known as “Vlam”, was shot dead in Brakpan on Friday.

He was the owner of a security company called QRF Task Team. Van der Merwe was Witness D, who testified in camera on 14 November. 

Van der Merwe testified about a 2022 murder of a robbery suspect in Brakpan and an alleged cover-up involving suspended EMPD acting chief, Julius Mkhwanazi.

"This evening, at around half past eight, one of the people who appeared at the Madlanga Commission, known by the code name Witness D, had just arrived home with his wife. At the gate, after he got out of the vehicle and was about to open the gate, he was shot. The wife was not hurt. Only two shots were fired. The people who were inside the house confirmed the same, and the assailant disappeared," Gauteng Acting Provincial Commissioner, Maj Gen Fred Kekana told members of the media at the crime scene.

Kekana added that a full-scale operation was underway as investigators moved swiftly to secure evidence.

"We have mobilised all the necessary resources, from national and provincial forensic ballistics. Every team is here to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that no evidence that may assist the investigation is overlooked, uncollected or unanalysed. The provincial serious violent crime team is here, including the commander and the provincial head. They are busy at the scene, gathering all necessary evidence and working with forensics and IPID."