Madlanga Commission witness murder has raised questions about how the state protects people who speak out. Gunmen shot whistle-blower Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, known as Witness D at the inquiry, outside his Brakpan home on Friday night. This occurred in front of his wife and children.
Two weeks earlier he survived an apparent hit when a bakkie tried to ram his vehicle off the road near Plastic City. The attempt sparked a gunfight. Afterwards he told friends he felt followed. As fear grew, those close to him say he believed someone would kill him soon.
Linked to Illegal Mining and Police Corruption
Van der Merwe ran the QRF Task Team, a private security firm that handled mining security and closed illegal shafts on the East Rand. Associates link the Madlanga Commission witness murder to those operations. They say his work “got too close” to criminal networks around zama zama sites.
He previously served in the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department. At the Madlanga Commission he testified about the 2022 murder of a robbery suspect in Brakpan. An alleged cover up involved suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi. He admitted that he helped dispose of the body after a senior officer ordered him.
Witnesses Fear They Are Next
The killing has thrown the Madlanga Commission into crisis. As a result several remaining witnesses say they want to withdraw. They argue that the Madlanga Commission witness murder shows testifying can cost them their lives.
Whistle-blowers warn that they receive “zero protection” while they take on criminal networks. Because the state has failed to keep a high profile insider like Van der Merwe safe, they fear others will now stay silent.
Security Clampdown After Assassination
In the wake of the killing National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola called an urgent Natjoints meeting on security for everyone linked to the inquiry. Since then officials have promised to boost protection around the commission. In addition, investigators will intensify efforts to track the hit squad.
Police have launched a manhunt for the shooters. Until officers arrest suspects and witnesses see real protection on the ground, the Madlanga Commission witness murder will hang over everyone deciding whether to tell their story.
