Police have confirmed that three persons of interest have been identified – and one is already being questioned – following the assassination of Witness D at the Madlanga Commission, Marius van der Merwe, on Friday.
During a walkabout in Saulsville on Monday, National Police Commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola told reporters that investigators are confident a breakthrough is imminent.
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Van der Merwe was shot and killed in Brakpan in what authorities believe was a targeted hit carried out in full view of his wife and children.
Alleged wrongdoing
The killing comes just three weeks after van der Merwe testified before the Madlanga Commission, where he implicated Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi in alleged wrongdoing.
In his testimony, Van der Merwe claimed that Mkhwanazi instructed him to conceal the death of a suspect allegedly involving EMPD and SAPS officers. (The allegations form part of witness testimony and have not been tested in court.)
Meanwhile, newly surfaced CCTV footage from the night of the shooting appears to show Marius van der Merwe speaking with men believed to be linked to the assassination shortly before he was gunned down.
‘Fully engaged’
Gen Masemola said the police’s specialised structures are fully engaged.
“We are confident that soon we will register a breakthrough as police remain on high alert for those behind the killing of Mr van der Merwe. Safe to say, investigations are on the right track.
“The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), together with the Madlanga Commission, has met and developed a plan to heighten and enhance security around officials and witnesses linked to the commission.”
The assassination has prompted renewed concerns about the safety of whistle-blowers and witnesses participating in high-profile inquiries.
