IPID and SAPS Face Scrutiny: No Arrests Three Years After Brakpan Murder

• Nearly three years after a murder in Brakpan, no arrests have been made, despite allegations linking several individuals to the crime and a reported confession by whistleblower Marius van der Merwe
• Van der Merwe, who testified as “Witness D” before the Madlanga Commission, was later assassinated on 5 December 2025, yet his murder remains unresolved
• The lack of arrests and official explanations from IPID and SAPS has fuelled public outrage and renewed calls for accountability and urgent intervention

Nearly three years after the murder of a man in Brakpan, no arrests have been made, raising serious questions about the pace of the investigation and accountability within South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.

One of the key figures at the Madlanga Commission, identified as Witness D, Marius van der Merwe, allegedly confessed to the dumping of Emmanuel Mbense’s body after he was killed, during a police operation in Brakpan.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has yet to arrest any suspects in connection with the killing, despite reports that several individuals are directly linked to the crime.

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Crime reporter Yusuf Abramjee drew renewed attention to the stalled investigation in a post on his X account, prompting widespread reaction from South Africans frustrated by the lack of progress in the case involving Marius van der Merwe.

Lack of action fuels public concern

The prolonged absence of arrests has intensified public concern, particularly given the seriousness of the allegations and the time that has elapsed. More than a month has passed since van der Merwe himself was murdered, yet the South African Police Service (SAPS) has also failed to make any arrests in that case.

Neither IPID nor SAPS has publicly explained the delays or provided a detailed update on the status of the investigations. The continued lack of accountability across all three matters, the original Brakpan murder, the attempted assassination of van der Merwe in September 2025, and his eventual killing, has sparked growing frustration and renewed calls for transparency and urgent intervention to prevent the cases from going cold.

Public reacts

@jacques65645 commented:

"Because it's political. Higher-ups don't want anything, and it's not the first time dockets just get lost, and a list of everything that's happened except the justice that should have taken place."

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@ditsydol460 said:

"This is outrageously poor! IPID is useless, so is the ANC government."

@BrandonMth35323 stated:

"Some of the police are compromised & working with criminals. Maybe KZN SAPS must take over the case so that we can see results."

@subzerogunner commented:

"Toothless, unaccountable and compromised."

@woza_diego said:

"KZN Police must go and operate in Joburg now to solve these crimes."

Who was Marius van der Merwe?

Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe was a former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer and the owner of a private security company. He was well known and widely respected in the Brakpan community. Van der Merwe became known nationally after anonymously testifying as “Witness D” before the Madlanga Commission, where he implicated former EMPD deputy head Julius Mkhwanazi in corruption. He alleged that in April 2022, during a joint operation, Mkhwanazi ordered him to remove a body from a crime scene, transport it in his private bakkie, and dispose of it. Van der Merwe was shot dead in front of his family in Brenthurst, Brakpan, on 5 December 2025.

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Police assurances yet to yield arrests

In December 2025, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola stated that SAPS was closing in on those responsible for van der Merwe’s murder. Speaking at a special media briefing on 8 December 2025, Masemola said one person of interest had been taken in for questioning, and that three suspects had been identified.“We are confident that soon we will register a breakthrough as police remain on high alert for those behind the killing of Mr van der Merwe. Safe to say, investigations are on the right track,” Masemola said.

In a related incident, Briefly News reported that General Fannie Masemola once again assured the public that the police were working hard and that they would not rush the case for the sake of rushing. He stated that together with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the South African Police Service (SAPS) would make arrests at the right time. SAPS and IPID are not only investigating van der Merwe’s murder, as well as the attempted hit on his life in September 2025, and allegations he made about dumping a dead body, as per Commissioner Mkhwanazi’s request. Read more:

Source: Briefly News