Matipandile Sotheni’s Arrest Video Surfaces As South Africans Praise Flawless Takedown by Officers
- A video has surfaced of the moment Matipandile Sotheni was arrested in connection with the murder of Marius van der Merwe
- Sotheni, a former member of the Special Task Force, was nabbed in Johannesburg, three months after Witness D's death
- South Africans commended members of the Madlaga Commission Task Team after a video showed them taking down Sotheni
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – A video has surfaced of the arrest of Matipandile Sotheni, the man accused of killing Marius van der Merwe, and South Africans are full of praise for the officers involved.
Sotheni, a former Special Task Force member, was arrested on Saturday, 14 March 2026, in Johannesburg. He was arrested three months after the murder of van der Merwe outside his Brakpan home.
Van der Merwe, who was also known as the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s Witness D, was gunned down outside his home on 5 December 2025. He was killed a month after he testified at the Commission about corruption at the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department.
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Source: Twitter
Video depicts the moment Sotheni was arrested
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on 19 March 2026, Yusuf Abramjee shared a clip of Sotheni being arrested. He was nabbed by members of the Madlanga Commission Task Team, who were formed under the instruction of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The video, which is just under two minutes long, showed the former South African Police Service member preparing to enter a vehicle in what appears to be a residential area of Johannesburg.
The video, which appears to come from CCTV footage from a nearby property, then showed an unmarked vehicle pulling up and members of a specialised task team rushing out to apprehend him.
Sotheni, who now works as a bodyguard, had no time to react and didn’t resist as the task team members placed him under arrest.
South Africans wowed by the arrest
Social media users weighed in on the arrest, sharing praise for the members involved, noting how effortless they made it look.
@Sunflowerreal recalled:
“These guys are so good. I once saw them live in action, and I promised myself I would never ever commit a crime.
@DakaloNdou said:
“His take down was like a Netflix movie. They knew they were dealing with a highly trained individual. Big up to the SAPS.”
@codeofV added:
“Lol, he went down fast knowing that they won’t negotiate.”
@MakhZep49775144 stated:
“They knew the type of person they were dealing with.”
@Gajeni_95 exclaimed:
“Clean job.”
@sandile_gqoboka noted:
“He had no chance.”
Sotheni's shooting skills highlighted in videos
Briefly News reported on how Sotheni allegedly demonstrated his impressive shooting skills in a series of videos on social media.
As a former Special Task Force member, Sotheni was known as an expert marksman, one of the reasons police believed he was hired to kill van der Merwe.
Videos posted on Sotheni's social media accounts months before the murder showed him firing at targets from a distance of about 100 metres.
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Source: Briefly News
