Cyril Ramaphosa said on Saturday he was “appalled and saddened” by the killing of a key witness in a police abuse case, pledging stronger safeguards for those who testify.
The witness, Marius Van der Merwe, was gunned down Friday night in front of his family, just weeks after testifying against a municipal police chief at the Madlanga commission inquiry into alleged criminality in the justice system.
Codenamed Witness D, his identity had been kept secret until his death.
“I am appalled and saddened by this attack on a former public servant who recently served the cause of justice and integrity,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
“My thoughts are with the deeply traumatised family, they faced death in circumstances that suggest Van der Merwe’s brave testimony angered elements in our society who want to undermine the rule of law and set back the quest for truth and consequences in the fight against corruption.”
In November, Mr Van der Merwe told the inquiry that suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi ordered him to dispose of the body of a suspect who died in police custody in 2022.
By then a former EMPD officer, he said he obeyed the order and dumped the body in a dam.
Ramaphosa said South Africa must remain resolute in ending corruption and vowed to intensify efforts to safeguard witnesses.
“As government, we will redouble our efforts to protect whistleblowers, including witnesses… as they serve the nation with bravery in the face of criminal threats,” he said.
Amnesty International South Africa also condemned the killing, warning that it could deter future witnesses who fear reprisals.
“This is not only an attack on an individual but on justice and accountability in South Africa,” the rights group said.
The judicial commission, led by former Constitutional Court judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was set up in July after a provincial police chief accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and other senior officials of blocking probes into politically motivated killings.
Ramaphosa later suspended Mchunu, who was alleged to have dismantled the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Both Mchunu and Mkhwanazi have appeared before the commission and deny wrongdoing.
#MadlangaCommision @SAPoliceService and minister of Police must take full responsibility of the death of (Witness D) named Mr Marius van der Merwe pic.twitter.com/a5AbQdaIgu
— T-Junction🚧 (@t_junction1) December 6, 2025
First published on African Insider
Also see: Inside the Madlanga Commission Drama: Why Nota Baloyi Is Standing by Brown Mogotsi
