Wiandre Pretorius and the Shadow of Death Over the Madlanga Commission
- Wiandre Pretorius, implicated in Witness D's testimony, allegedly died by suicide after surviving a targeted assassination attempt
- Witness D, the key whistleblower, was assassinated, highlighting ongoing violence linked to South Africa's troubled policing systems
- The Madlanga Commission faces significant challenges as threats and violence against witnesses raise serious public safety concerns
JOHANNESBURG - In a shocking development reported by eNCA, Wiandre Pretorius, the man directly implicated in explosive testimony by the late Witness D at the Madlanga Commission, has allegedly taken his own life. According to the broadcaster, Pretorius allegedly shot himself at a petrol filling station in Brakpan on the East Rand, in the presence of his partner, police sergeant Juan-Mare Eksteen. This comes days after he survived what authorities described as a targeted assassination attempt, when gunmen fired at least 16 bullets into his vehicle outside his Boksburg home.
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Pretorius, described across multiple reports as a SAPS informant, occupied a murky role in the East Rand’s overlapping worlds of policing, private security, and alleged criminal operations. According to testimony from Witness D (Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe), Pretorius was actively involved in the 2022 incident that led to the death of Brakpan resident Emmanuel Mbhense. Van der Merwe, a former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officer, described how Pretorius and others allegedly tortured Mbhense during an unauthorised operation in the Sallies Village area near the Vulcania Industrial Complex.
In the testimony, van der Merwe recounted arriving at a scene where Mbhense, a suspect in a robbery, was being questioned. Pretorius, who according to the account presented himself as a SAPS member, allegedly pushed the suspect into a bedroom and participated in “tubing” him (placing a plastic bag over his head to immobilise and extract information). Others present included private security operators and additional officers. Van der Merwe said he briefly assisted by holding the suspect’s legs with a wooden table leg. Mbhense reportedly died from the ordeal. The group then allegedly disposed of the body in a dam near Germiston, with Pretorius instructing van der Merwe to handle the dumping and issuing threats to ensure silence.
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Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni confirmed to eNCA and other outlets that Pretorius was not an official SAPS member, despite allegedly presenting himself as one. His partner, Juan-Mare Eksteen (a SAPS sergeant also named in connection with the commission and the 2022 operation), was reportedly present during both the recent assassination attempt and the alleged suicide.
The Madlanga Commission testimony that sparked the violence
Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D, testified off-camera before the Madlanga Commission in November 2025. The commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is investigating criminality, corruption, and political interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system, with particular scrutiny on Gauteng policing structures including the EMPD.
According to reports from eNCA and EWN, van der Merwe detailed a pattern of alleged brutality, unauthorised operations, torture, and cover-ups involving a mix of EMPD officers, SAPS members, reservists, and private security personnel. He implicated senior figures, including links to suspended EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi in directing the disposal of Mbhense’s body. Van der Merwe claimed he was ordered to dump the corpse and complied out of fear for his own safety.
Van der Merwe was assassinated in December 2025, gunned down outside his Brakpan home in front of his family. President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the killing as “heinous,” and police launched investigations while identifying persons of interest.
A pattern of violence and retaliation
Pretorius’s name emerged prominently from van der Merwe’s testimony, tying him directly to the Mbhense case. Then came the violence:
- December 2025: Witness D assassinated in Brakpan .
- 5 February 2026: Pretorius survived a hail of bullets in Van Dyk Park, Boksburg. Gunmen in a white Toyota Vitz allegedly opened fire as he arrived home, riddling his white Isuzu bakkie with 16 shots. He escaped unharmed, crawling out from under the vehicle. A vehicle believed linked to the attackers was later found abandoned in Alexandra. Police have questioned persons of interest.
- 7 February 2026: Pretorius then died by apparent suicide at a Brakpan petrol station.
The rapid sequence, the witness’s murder, an attempted hit on the implicated informant, and now his suicide, has raised fears of a “trail of blood” connected to the commission’s revelations. According to EWN, police have reiterated offers of witness protection, and President Ramaphosa has called for tighter security measures for those involved. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels has emphasised the inquiry’s commitment to protecting participants, though the pattern has eroded public confidence.
Mbense’s family, who learned harrowing details of his death through van der Merwe’s testimony, has sought justice through channels including AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit after years of stalled official processes. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has referred the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority.
Unanswered questions and broader implications
Pretorius’s apparent suicide, coming so soon after surviving an attack, leaves many questions. According to circulating reports, he was under significant pressure, though police are investigating the death as a suicide. His role as an informant placed him in a precarious position in a region long plagued by blurred lines between law enforcement and alleged vigilantism or extortion.
This remains a developing story. Police investigations into both the assassination attempt and Pretorius’s death are ongoing, as is the commission’s work. Allegations against Pretorius and others stem from testimony and remain subject to legal processes.
Madlanga Commission: Julius Mkhwanazi Allegedly Tampered With Dead Body at Crime Scene
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's latest witness provided insight into Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi's alleged interference with police work. The witness testified on 14 November 2025.
Witness D appeared before the Commission of Inquiry at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College. The witness testified about Mkhwanazi and how he instructed members of the EMPD to dispose of a body.
The witness said that he first met Mkhwanazi at a crime scene, and he did not know that he was the deputy chief. He said that he noticed members of the EMPD who wanted to plant a firearm on the scene.
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