Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, also known as “Witness D” in the Madlanga Commission, shared his concerns about a hit on his life after his whistleblower testimony last month.
The former Ekhuruleni Metro Police officer, who later opened his own private security company, was shot and killed outside his Brakpan home on Friday, 5 December.
His death is believed to have been an assassination after he divulged information about alleged police corruption. One shocking revelation was an allegation that metro police boss Julius Mkhwanazi had covered up a murder – and implied that he could be “next”.
MARIUS VAN DER MERWE’S CONCERNS OVER HIT
According to eNCA’s Yusuf Abramjee, Marius van der Merwe shared his fears that he would be killed over his work exposing illegal miners, as well as his testimony at the Madlanga Commission.
Despite speaking under the pseudonym “Witness D”, the former metro police officer stated his intention to go public.
Ambramjee shared of his conversation: “I said to him, I can’t put you on because you’re Witness D. It will reveal your identity, and we can’t reveal your name. So it’s going to be difficult to do an on-camera interview. He said, No, I’m happy to now reveal my name. And I’m happy to share my story, because I know I only have a few days to live.”
Two weeks before his death, van der Merwe reported a failed attempt on his life, where a vehicle had attempted to drive him off the road.
On his Facebook account – now locked – Marius van der Merwe shared several alarming posts.
One included a comment about “living on borrowed time”.
Another read: “In my years on this earth, and especially after these past few. I have learned that we will go when it’s our time, no matter the struggle. No one can stop it.”
MADLANGA COMMISSION: ‘NO AMOUNT OF SECURITY COULD PROTECT HIM’
According to Marius van der Merwe’s mother-in-law, Lesley McLean, he predicted his death would be imminent.
She told the Sunday Times: “When we asked him to beef up his security, he said no amount of security would protect him.
“He knew they were coming for him, he had done what he needed to do when he testified during the [Madlanga] commission. He was prepared to die, but as a family, we were not prepared to lose him.”
His wife, Leanne, has since posted a heartbreaking tribute on TikTok to her late husband.
Images via TikTok
