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.

Source: Briefly News