AfriForum Represents Family of Brakpan Man Who Was Tortured and Killed Allegedly by Law Enforcement
- The family of the Brakpan, Ekurhuleni man who was tortured and killed allegedly by members of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department and South African Police Service, has approached AfriForum for help
- The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard how Emmanuel Mbense was killed in April 2022, and his body was found in the Duduza Dam
- Witness Marius van der Merwe testified how Mbense was brutally murdered and his body disposed of at the alleged orders of EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi
Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, shootings, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.
Source: UGC
BRAKPAN, EKURHULENI — The family of Emmanuel Mbense, who was tortured to death and his body disposed of in April 2022, has approached AfriForum for assistance in fighting for justice for Mbense.
Mbense was murdered on 15 April 2022 after members of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), the South African Police Service (SAPS), and private security officers allegedly tortured him and killed him on a farm in Ekurhuleni. The allegations have not been investigated or proven.
AfriForum to fight for the Mbense family
AfriForum's Head of Communications for the Private Prosecution Unit, Barry Bateman, posted a statement on his @barrybateman X account. In the statement, he said Mbense's family approached AfriForum on 15 November 2025 after Marius van der Merwe testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he was ordered to dispose of Mbense's body. Mbense's body was found at the Duduza Dam. Mbense's brother. Nhlanhla said that van der Merwe's testimony re-traumatised them as they relived the pain of losing him.
Bateman said that AfriForum's Gerrie Nel wrote to the Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Jennifer Ntlatseng, on 9 December 2025. He added that hours later, an investigator called Nhlanhla to inform him that arrests would be made.
Source: Getty Images
Read the X statement here:
What happened to Emmanuel Mbense?
Van der Merwe, who testified as witness D before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, gave insight into the murder of Mbense. Van der Merwe said that he received an alert from the owner of a private security firm about a crime scene in Sallies Village. He arrived to find EMPD and SAPS members allegedly torturing Mbense.
Van der Merwe, who was shot dead outside of his house in Brakpan on 5 December 2025, testified that EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi came to the scene of the crime after Mbense was killed. After a meeting with EMPD members, Mkhwanazi allegedly ordered that the body must be dumped in a dam or mine shaft. Van der Merwe was then compelled to dump the body.
Julius Mkhwanazi distances himself from Van der Merwe death
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Mkhwanazi commented on the murder of van der Merwe. This was after van der Merwe was brutally shot and killed outside of his home in front of his wife.
Mkhwanazi said that he had no involvement in his death. Mkhwanazi also added that he did not know van der Merwe.
Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
