A former member of the police’s Special Task Force has been identified as the alleged killer of a key witness who testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Matipandile Sotheni appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court facing six charges, including murder, following the fatal shooting of Marius van der Merwe in December.
Van der Merwe, who testified under the pseudonym Witness D, was gunned down outside his home in Brakpan, Gauteng, shortly after giving evidence at the commission about alleged corruption within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).
According to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, investigators believe Sotheni did not act alone. Police allege he worked alongside former police reservist Wiandré Pretorius, who has since died by suicide. The case has been postponed to next Wednesday as investigations continue.
Speaking to VOC News, criminologist Simon Howell said the arrest is an important step in ensuring accountability in cases involving threats or violence against witnesses.
“I mean, it’s significant in the sense that it indicates that there is follow-up and that the police are working towards finding out who exactly is behind instances where witnesses have been hurt or intimidated,” Howell said. “In this instance, because it is a murder case, it is all the more important that authorities get to the bottom of it.”
Howell added that the case highlights the serious risks faced by individuals who come forward to testify about corruption and criminal activity.
“The responses that people have indicated show that some are prepared to undertake significant levels of violence to protect their interests and intimidate others,” he said. “But what the arrest also indicates is that no one is above the criminal justice system.”
He further noted that the development could help restore public confidence in the justice system, particularly as questions have been raised about why the issues being investigated required a commission of inquiry.
“In this instance, at least, the police and the criminal justice system are clawing back their authority and legitimacy through the arrest of this individual,” Howell said.
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
Photo: Screenshot
