South Africa
South Africa’s long-running crisis of whistle-blower assassinations widened again this week as police confirmed they have identified three persons of interest — and taken one in for questioning — in connection with the murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe.
Van der Merwe, known publicly as Witness D, was gunned down in Brakpan on Friday evening in a targeted hit carried out in front of his wife and children. His killing has sent fresh shockwaves through a country already grappling with a disturbing pattern of whistle-blowers being silenced through violence — from the murder of Babita Deokaran to multiple killings linked to state capture testimonies. Rights groups warn that South Africa is fast becoming one of the most dangerous democracies in the world for those who expose corruption, a trend that undermines public trust, cripples accountability processes, and deters witnesses from coming forward.
Addressing the media during a walkabout in Saulsville on Monday,8 December 2025, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said investigators are confident of a breakthrough.
“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,” Masemola said.
CCTV footage that surfaced over the weekend shows van der Merwe speaking moments before the shooting to the men believed to be responsible for the assassination.
Just three weeks before his death, van der Merwe had implicated Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi in wrongdoing at the Madlanga Commission, alleging that the senior official instructed him to help cover up the murder of a suspect by EMPD and SAPS officers. His testimony — now chillingly followed by his murder — highlights the extreme dangers faced by witnesses who speak out against powerful figures in South Africa’s security and political structures.
The killing has intensified calls for a comprehensive overhaul of whistle-blower protection. Civil society organisations have repeatedly warned that the state’s reliance on ad-hoc security arrangements leaves witnesses exposed, while the lack of a dedicated, well-resourced protection framework continues to place brave individuals at fatal risk.
Masemola acknowledged the escalating threat, confirming that the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), together with the Madlanga Commission, has developed a plan to “heighten and enhance security” for all commission members and witnesses.
But for many South Africans, the response is already too late for van der Merwe — and too slow for the many others who fear they may be next. As the country awaits the promised breakthrough in this latest case, the broader question looms: how many more whistle-blowers must die before South Africa acts decisively to protect them?
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