Wiandre Pretorius Was Allegedly Interviewed In Connection With a Murder Investigation

• Wiandre Pretorius was a person of interest in the Mbense murder and was taken in for questioning
• This comes after police move closer to arrests in the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense
• Sources also indicated that investigators have made progress in the murder of van der Merwe

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.

Police are moving closer to arrests in the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense as the Independent Police Investigative Directorate has completed its investigation and handed the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority.

Eight suspects linked to the killing

IPID has identified eight suspects linked to the killing. Four people previously implicated are now dead. Wiandre Pretorius died by suicide after shooting himself. Another implicated individual, Marius van der Merwe, also known as Witness D, was shot dead in December 2025.

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Sources said Pretorius was a person of interest in the Mbense murder and was taken in for questioning regarding Witness D's death. During that process, investigators seized, among other items, his cellphones. Last week, Pretorius reported an alleged attempt on his life after gunmen fired 16 shots at his vehicle outside his Boksburg home. He was not injured, and police are still investigating that case.

Pretorius, a former police reservist, reportedly argued with his partner, police sergeant Juan Mare Eksteen, before taking his own life. Eksteen was previously named at the Madlanga Commission in connection with the Brakpan case. Sources also indicated that investigators have made progress in the murder of van der Merwe and confirmed that Pretorius had been linked to that investigation. Police have opened an inquest docket into Pretorius' death. In December, journalists spoke to two people in the security industry who claimed there was a hit list linked to the case and said they feared for their lives.

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Other crime-related stories

Major General Fannie Masemola is confident that police have arrested the right people in connection with the murder of Warrick ‘DJ Warras’ Stock. Stock, a popular radio and television show presenter, was gunned down outside the Zambezi Building on 16 December 2025. Stock, who owns a security company, was inspecting a hijacked building in the Johannesburg Central Business District when he was shot dead.

Five men have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 60-year-old man on a farm outside Humansdorp. The suspects appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court. The suspects, aged between 22 and 37, were reportedly found in possession of items believed to have been stolen during the attack. They face charges of murder, house robbery and possession of suspected stolen property.

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.

Source: Briefly News