BRAKPAN – National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has announced significant progress in the investigation into Friday’s assassination of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe, confirming the recovery of what police believe is the getaway vehicle and the identification of three persons of interest.
In a briefing on Monday evening to the Van der Merwe family, Masemola revealed that investigators have located a white Chevrolet bakkie abandoned in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, which matches the description of the vehicle captured on video footage during the murder.
Masemola said that video footage from Friday evening shows the white bakkie pulling up behind Van der Merwe’s vehicle as he attempted to open the gate to his Brakpan residence. The 41-year-old whistleblower, who was a former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officer, was then shot several times and died at the scene.
Police preliminary investigations indicate that two men abandoned the vehicle on a gravel dead-end road among shacks in Alexandra on Saturday morning, just hours after Van der Merwe was gunned down. Crime scene experts and the vehicle crime investigation unit have processed the scene, and the vehicle has been transported to the forensic laboratory for comprehensive analysis.
“We have three persons of interest that we believe can assist in solving the murder case of Marius van der Merwe. We are closing in on these suspects as our investigations reach a very advanced and sensitive stage,” Masemola told the family during the briefing.
The police commissioner declined to reveal details about potential motives, stating that such information would not be divulged until arrests are made and the case reaches court. Investigators are still searching for the murder weapon used in the assassination.
The investigation has revealed concerning connections to two additional cases. Police are examining links to the 2022 Duduza murder case, where an African man’s body was found dumped in a dam, currently under investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
More troubling is the connection to a September 2025 attempted murder of Van der Merwe himself, in which he reported being followed by two white men in a Mahindra bakkie. This earlier incident suggests the whistle blower had been targeted for months before his eventual assassination.
Van der Merwe, known as “Witness D” in the Madlanga Commission proceedings, was shot multiple times with an AK-47 assault rifle on Friday evening, 6 December, as he arrived home with his wife. The attack occurred outside his Brakpan home as he was opening his gate.
His wife, who remained inside their vehicle during the attack, was unharmed. Police said that Van der Merwe’s firearm, wallet, and mobile phone were left untouched, ruling out robbery as a motive and confirming the assassination was a targeted hit.
Van der Merwe had provided explosive testimony to the Madlanga Commission, alleging severe police misconduct including torture that reportedly led to a suspect’s death. His testimony implicated Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, with Van der Merwe claiming he was ordered to dispose of the victim’s body under duress, an act he later reported to authorities.
The Madlanga Commission, launched in July 2025, is investigating criminality, corruption, and political interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system.
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