Inside the Alleged Murder Marius Van Der Merwe Witnessed
- Marius Van der Merwe, who testified before the Madlanga commission of inquiry about corruption in the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, was recently murdered
- Van der Merwe testified about a crime he allegedly witnessed in which law enforcement officers allegedly killed a crime suspect
- Weeks after testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, he was killed outside of his home in front of his family in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG — Madlanga Commission of Inquiry witness Marius van der Merwe, who was killed outside his home in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, on 5 December 2025, witnessed the murder of a crime suspect allegedly committed by rogue law enforcement officers.
According to the Daily Maverick, van der Merwe said the murder took place on a plot in Sallies Village in Ekurhuleni in 2022. Van der Merwe, who was the founder and director of the QRF Task Team, said he received an alert from the owner of another private security firm specialising in high-risk security. He was informed that there was an operation on the farm in which a robbery suspect was being apprehended.
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Law enforcement officers allegedly kill suspect
Van der Merwe said that when he arrived on the plot, a South African Police Service (SAPS) informer, Jaco Hanekom, an alleged SAPS member, and the SAPS Flying Squad and Brakpan Reserve Constable Zander Fritz were there. Two members of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department were also on the scene. He said the members of the operation were questioning the suspect. The suspect admitted to robbing a warehouse.
The suspect then pleaded that the officers not hurt him. He offered them a R500,000 bribe. He was moved to another room where two SAPS members from Brakpan helped pin him down to the bed. They then tortured him and demanded information from him. Van der Merwe said that he later saw the two officers carrying a small, black sports bag and leaving the house. They asked one of the men if the suspect would talk, and the man said he would never talk again.
Source: Getty Images
Julius Mkhwanazi arrives on the scene
Van der Merwe said that one of the men had informed the group that EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi would dispose of the body. Mkhwanazi arrived and had a meeting with the officers. Mkhwanazi, who was accused of tampering with a crime scene, then ordered the officers to dump the body. Van der Merwe was then told to load the body into his vehicle and dispose of it.
Julius Mkhwanazi denies van der Merwe's claims
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Mkhwanazi responded to the allegations van der Merwe made against him. Van der Merwe was killed in front of his home in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni.
He distanced himself from van der Merwe's murder, stating that he did not know him. He said that he had no involvement with him and only knew about him from people posting about him on social media.
Source: Briefly News
