Witness Implicated in Madlanga Commission: Wiandre Pretorius's Tragic Death Under Investigation

• Wiandre Pretorius, implicated in Witness D’s testimony, has died in Brakpan amid ongoing investigations
• He was previously targeted in a hit attempt before his death earlier this week
• Pretorius had been driving with a friend before calling his fiancée to the garage

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, JOHANNESBURG - Wiandre Pretorius, who was implicated in Witness D’s testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, has died after allegedly taking his own life.

Died from a gunshot wound

Police said the 41-year-old died from a gunshot wound at a petrol filling station in Brakpan on the East Rand on Saturday, 7 February 2026. The South African Police Service said the incident occurred in the presence of his partner, a police sergeant, following a dispute. The exact circumstances of his death remain under investigation.

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National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said preliminary information indicated that Pretorius had been driving with a friend before calling his fiancée to the garage. She said an argument followed, and he allegedly turned the firearm on himself. Mathe said the police had registered an inquest docket, and investigations are continuing.

Protect witnesses and individuals

Pretorius had narrowly escaped death days earlier after gunmen fired 16 shots at his vehicle in an apparent hit attempt in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on Thursday, 5 February. Witness D, identified as Marius van der Merwe, named Pretorius during testimony at the Madlanga Commission in November 2025. Unknown assailants later shot Van der Merwe dead outside his home on 16 December 2025.

After Van der Merwe’s murder, President Cyril Ramaphosa said authorities would tighten security to protect witnesses and individuals mentioned during the Madlanga Commission proceedings.

Pretorius questioned for murder

Wiandre Pretorius, a person of interest in the Emmanuel Mbense murder, had been taken in for questioning regarding the death of Witness D, during which his cellphones and other items were seized.

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Sources indicated that investigators had made progress in the case surrounding Marius van der Merwe, confirming Pretorius’s connection to that investigation. Police subsequently opened an inquest docket into Pretorius’ death.

Other crime-related stories

KwaZulu-Natal police have shot and killed four suspects during a gunfight in Woodlands on 16 January 2026. The confrontation comes just a day after the group allegedly carried out a daring robbery that was captured on CCTV. Authorities said KwaZulu-Natal police also arrested three others and injured one, following an intelligence-led operation.

ActionSA said a shooting occurred during an anti-drug operation in Ekurhuleni that was joined by the party’s mayoral candidate, Councillor Xolani Khumalo. The party said a Nigerian suspect linked to drug trafficking was shot during the operation. It did not provide further details on the suspect’s condition.

Two people have been arrested following a fatal shooting on the R59 in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, on 3 February 2026. The suspects were nabbed following the mass shooting, which left six people dead. Eighteen other people who sustained injuries during the shooting are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

Source: Briefly News