Ex‑SAPS Special Task Force member Matipandile Sotheni back in Brakpan court over Witness D killing

Former SAPS Special Task Force member Matipandile Sotheni was scheduled to appear at the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Thursday as investigations continued into the murder of Madlanga Commission witness D, Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe.

Who is charged and why

Sotheni, who was denied bail last month, faces a charge of murder in relation to Van der Merwe’s killing. The case was postponed to Thursday, July 30, 2026 to allow for further investigations.

Background to the killing

Van der Merwe, identified in the Madlanga Commission as Witness D, was shot dead at his Brakpan home on December 5, 2025, in the presence of his wife and children. He had testified before the Madlanga Commission in November 2025, where he implicated suspended EMPD deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi in the alleged murder of Emmanuel Mbhense.

Charges and related allegations

Sotheni, aged 42, was arrested on March 14, 2026. He faces 16 charges, which include murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition-related offences and theft.

The State alleges Sotheni conspired with Wiandre Pretorius to kill Van der Merwe. Police say Pretorius later died by suicide at a Brakpan petrol station. The prosecution told the court that an AK-47 rifle and ammunition were found in Sotheni’s vehicle at the time of his arrest.

Bail arguments

Prosecutors opposed bail, arguing release would endanger the public, risk witness intimidation and undermine the justice process. Defence lawyer Nthabiseng Mohamane challenged the State’s ballistic evidence, saying firearm components can be altered or swapped and denying that Sotheni used an AK‑47 in the alleged murder.

Sotheni, in an affidavit, denied involvement in the killing, said he was not in possession of such a weapon on the day of the shooting, and told the court that detention would cause severe financial hardship for his family, including his elderly parents and children. He also said he was not a flight risk and had surrendered his passport.

Magistrate’s finding

The magistrate ruled that the State’s case was not weak and found that Sotheni had failed to show why release would be in the interests of justice, leading to the earlier denial of bail.