Wiandre Pretorius, who died by suicide at a Brakpan filling station allegedly in front on his wife, was a person of interest in the murder of Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe known as Witness D, police have confirmed.
Van der Merwe, who testified at the Madlanga commission of inquiry was gunned down outside his home in December.
He had implicated Pretorius during his testimony.
On Sunday, national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed that Pretorius took his own life outside a filling station in Brakpan on Saturday.
She told reporters at the scene where Pretorius took his life that a few days after Van der Merwe’s murder, he (Pretorius) was taken into custody for questioning over the deadly shooting.
“He was the first person of interest that was taken in for questioning by police right after Witness D was murdered and items such as a cell phone, his firearms were seized for further investigation and analysis,” Mathe said.
She said investigations into the death of Witness D were at an advanced stage.
“Police are still piecing together evidence and gathering more information so that we ensure that when we are ready to go to court, then we will effect the necessary arrest.”
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Mathe also said Pretorius was among the 12 people identified as persons of interest in Emmanuel Mbhense’s murder, whose body was dumped at a dam in Ekurhuleni, allegedly on the instruction of Ekurhuleni metro police officers.
Mbhense was murdered on April 15 2022 at his home in Brakpan.
His body was found the next day at Duduza Dam in Nigel, with his car keys and driving licence in his pocket.
Mathe said of the 12, only eight were still alive and three were killed in what she described as an assassination-style attack.
The first was shot dead at a filling station in March 2023. The second was killed at his home in October 2025, while a third was Witness D, who was gunned down outside his home.
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She said police were probing whether a criminal syndicate may be eliminating each other following Mbhense’s murder.
“ Are we dealing with a syndicate that is eliminating each other in terms of their role, their involvement in the murder of Emmanuel Mbhense. That is the aspect that we are looking at,” Mathe said.
She said the police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) will shed more light on who the eight persons of interest are.
“But I can assure you that arrests are imminent because IPID has finalised that case. We are working closely with them. We are also investigating that particular murder case.”
She said two current serving members were already served with notices of intention to suspend [with regard to Mbhense’s murder].
“The national commissioner [Gen Fannie Masemola] has signed off on those notices.”
Mathe added that officers were also investigating an alleged attempted hit on Pretorius outside his home last Thursday.
She said ballistics experts have collected evidence, which was being analysed.
An inquest docket has now been opened into Pretorius’s death and detectives remain on the ground as investigations continue, she said.
Sowetan
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