Who Was Witness D: Meet Marius van der Merwe, the Assassinated Madlanga Commission Whistleblower
- Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, the man who testified anonymously as “Witness D” before the Madlanga Commission, was shot dead in front of his family in Brenthurst, Brakpan
- The 41-year-old former Ekurhuleni metro police officer and founder of private security company QRF Task Team became the public face of courage in South Africa’s fight against corruption
- Briefly News takes a look at the man behind the powerful testimony
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Van der Merwe joined the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) in the early 2000s and spent more than 10 years in tactical response and specialised crime-prevention units on the East Rand.
Source: Twitter
He was known among the officers regularly deployed to high-risk operations involving stock theft, armed robberies, and illegal mining activities in derelict gold mine shafts around Brakpan, Benoni and Springs.
Move to private security
He left the EMPD in the mid-2010s and in 2018 founded QRF Task Team, a Brakpan-based rapid-response and investigative security company. The firm focused on stock theft recovery for farmers, high-risk arrests and anti-illegal mining operations.
QRF frequently worked alongside law enforcement agencies on contract, giving Van der Merwe continued access to crime scenes and intelligence networks.
Testimony as Witness D
Van der Merwe appeared before the Madlanga Commission on 18 and 19 November 2025 under the protected identity “Witness D”.
Key points from his evidence:
- In April 2022, during a joint operation in Brakpan, a suspect died in custody. Van der Merwe alleged that suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi ordered him to remove the body from the scene, transport it in his private bakkie, and dispose of it.
- He testified to widespread extortion within EMPD tactical units, including the collection of unofficial “recovery fees” from farmers whose stolen livestock had been recovered.
- He stated he had additional evidence, not yet presented, linking senior EMPD members to the protection of illegal mining syndicates. He indicated he would hand this over at a later sitting.
Despite requesting protection, van der Merwe was never enrolled in the official witness protection programme.
The assassination of the witness
On Friday evening, 5 December 2025, at approximately 20:15, van der Merwe was reportedly driving home in his white Toyota double-cab bakkie with his wife and two young children when he was ambushed in Brenthurst, Brakpan.
Gunmen opened fire, hitting him multiple times. He was declared dead at the scene. The attackers fled in a white Nissan NP200 bakkie with a canopy.
Police investigation underway
Gauteng Acting Provincial Commissioner Major-General Freddy Kekana confirmed a 72-hour activation plan and the involvement of the Hawks. National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola is meeting the commission chairperson, retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga on Saturday, 6 December 2025 to discuss witness-safety measures.
No arrests have been made.
Van der Merwe is survived by his wife and two children under the age of ten. He is the second person linked to allegations against Brigadier Mkhwanazi to be killed in 2025.
The Madlanga Commission has confirmed that his evidence remains on record and will continue to be processed.
Julius Mkhwanazi Admits to Receiving Money From Cat Matlala
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi admitted that Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala gave him money.
Mkhwanazi testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where he was called to testify after he was implicated in blue light corruption. Mkhwanazi said that Matlala, who is in custody for attempted murder, helped him out financially on numerous occasions.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
