Gauteng police find no links between shootings of Madlanga Commission figures

Gauteng police say they have not yet been able to find a link between three separate shootings involving individuals connected to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

On Thursday morning, Boksburg resident Wiandre Pretorius survived an attempted hit on his life after unknown gunmen fired 16 shots at his vehicle.

Pretorius was previously implicated in the testimony of the late Witness D, Marius van der Merwe, who linked him to the death and torture of a man in Brakpan whose body was later dumped at a lake in Germiston.

A PATTERN OF VIOLENCE
The attack on Pretorius is the latest in a string of violent incidents targeting people associated with the commission:

November 2025: Controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi survived an assassination attempt after his car was riddled with bullets near the N3 highway on the East Rand, just weeks before he was set to testify.

December 2025: Marius van der Merwe (Witness D) was shot and killed outside his home in Brakpan.

Today: Wiandre Pretorius narrowly escaped death in a similar ambush.

POLICE RESPONSE
Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni stated that no definitive links have been established between the three incidents at this stage.

Regarding the safety of those involved, Mthombeni noted:

“But safe to say that in terms of the process relating to witness protection, as SAPS, where we are investigating a case and it's clear there is a need for a witness to go through witness protection, we will of course do the necessary linking up with the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority).”

No arrests have been made yet in connection with the attempted murder of Pretorius.