A deadly silence closes in as suspects in Emmanuel Mbense murder die one by one

A case that refuses to stay buried

Nearly three years after Emmanuel Mbense was found dead in a dam on the East Rand, the case that once seemed frozen in silence has taken a chilling turn.

One by one, people linked to his murder are dying, some gunned down execution-style, others under mysterious circumstances. The latest is Wiiandre Pretorius, a former SAPS reservist and police informant, whose death has intensified fears that those involved are being deliberately silenced.

Now, police are openly asking a question many South Africans are already whispering: Is someone cleaning up a syndicate?

Who was Emmanuel Mbense?

Mbense, a 51-year-old father of five from Brakpan, was reported missing in April 2022. His body was discovered the following day in Duduza Dam, near Nigel. Despite the violent nature of his death, his car keys and driver’s licence were still in his pocket, details that raised early suspicions.

His death certificate listed blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death. For years, however, the full story remained frustratingly out of reach for his family.

A breakthrough that came too late

It was only during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the pieces began to fall into place.

A key witness, known as Witness D (Marius van der Merwe) himself later murdered alleged that Mbense was tortured and killed, and that his body was dumped on instruction from people connected to law enforcement and private security structures.

That testimony finally gave Mbense’s family answers they had waited years for, prompting them to seek justice through AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit after repeated appeals to authorities went nowhere.

Suspects dying, questions multiplying

According to SAPS, 12 persons of interest were identified by police and IPID as being linked to Mbense’s murder.

Now, four are dead.

• One was shot execution-style at a petrol station in March 2023

• Another was killed at his home in October 2025

• Witness D was assassinated outside his home in December 2025

• And now, Pretorius, who died by suicide in Brakpan

Police say eight persons of interest remain alive.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed investigators are probing whether these deaths are connected and whether those involved are eliminating each other to erase the truth.

The final moments at a Brakpan petrol station

Pretorius died at an Astron Energy filling station, just days after IPID submitted the Mbense murder docket.

By Sunday morning, the scene looked eerily ordinary again. Workers washed away blood with hosepipes and brooms as commuters walked past, barely pausing, a stark reflection of how violence has become part of daily life in Gauteng.

CCTV footage shows Pretorius taking his own life using a 9mm handgun. His death came shortly after he survived an attempted hit outside his Boksburg home, raising further alarm.

Public reaction: fear, anger, and mistrust

On social media, the reaction has been grim. Many users expressed disbelief at the number of deaths linked to a single case, while others questioned whether justice is even possible when witnesses and suspects keep disappearing.

The case has reopened painful conversations about police corruption, accountability, and how often families are left to fight alone for answers.

A case that now tests the system

For SAPS, the Mbense case has become more than a murder investigation, it is a test of whether the criminal justice system can protect the truth long enough for it to reach a courtroom.

For Mbense’s family, each new death brings fresh fear that justice may arrive too late or not at all.

As detectives dig deeper, one thing is clear: Emmanuel Mbense’s story is no longer just about how he died, but about who is still willing to ensure the truth survives.

{Source: IOL}

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