Police have tracked down a white Chevrolet bakkie suspected to have been used in the killing of Madlanga Commission witness Marius Van der Merwe.
Van der Merwe was killed outside his home in Brakpan on Friday, 05 December 2025.
The witness’s death comes after he appeared before the Madlanga Commission of Enquiry last month, where he testified about the alleged corruption within the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD).
The deceased revealed that he was asked to dispose of a body by the suspended EMPD Chief Julius Mkhwanazi in 2022.
The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, visited the victim’s family on Monday to brief them on the progress of the investigation.
Masemola revealed that two vehicles were used during this incident.
“So we found the bakkie vehicle. On the evening of the murder of the deceased, video footage shows the white bakkie pulling up around here and making some observations.”
“But there was also a Turkish hatchback vehicle that was seen on the scene. For now, we have found only one,” Masemola said.
According to the investigation, two men ditched the bakkie on a gravel road between shacks in Alexandra on Saturday morning, hours after Van der Merwe was killed.
The police have seized the vehicle for forensic analysis.
THREE PERSONS OF INTEREST IDENTIFIED IN VAN DER MERWE’S MURDER CASE
Masemola also revealed that three people of interest have been identified in connection with Marius van der Merwe’s assassination.
He confirmed that one of the persons of interest had been taken in for questioning.
“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.
The murder weapon has not yet been recovered and the motive for the killing is unknown at this stage.
“We think we will be able to update the nation as you go along. But for now, we are only doing questioning for one of the people. We will get to the others.” he said.
