Former Police Task Force Member Matiphandile Sotheni Denies Assassinating Madlanga Commission Witness Outside Brakpan Residence

Former SAPS member Matiphandile Sotheni denies murdering Marius van der Merwe. Read about the Brakpan court clash and the delayed bail hearing today.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 25, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Eyewitness News

Defiance in the Face of Murder Allegations

A courtroom in Brakpan became the scene of a heated verbal outburst as the man accused of a high profile assassination flatly rejected the charges brought against him. Matiphandile Sotheni, a former member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) elite Special Task Force, appeared for the second time in connection with the killing of a witness from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Despite the gravity of the proceedings, Sotheni utilized his time in the dock to lash out at the prosecution, asserting that he had been wrongfully detained for a crime he did not commit. This public display of defiance occurred even as the court moved to finalize the scheduling for his upcoming legal battles.

The Fatal Ambush of Witness D

The victim, Marius van der Merwe, was a central figure in the Madlanga Commission, where he testified under the pseudonym Witness D. The state alleges that Sotheni was the primary assailant who ambushed van der Merwe outside his home in Brakpan during a targeted shooting in December. The death of a protected witness has sent shockwaves through South Africa’s legal and investigative communities, raising urgent questions about the safety of those who come forward to expose systemic corruption. According to police reports, the investigation remains active as authorities continue to search for at least one more suspect believed to be linked to the fatal operation.

Emotional Turmoil Within the Courtroom

The atmosphere inside the Brakpan Magistrates Court was charged with grief as members of van der Merwe’s family sat directly behind the man accused of taking his life. Dressed in a black suit and a flashy wristwatch, a visibly agitated Sotheni entered the courtroom to the visible distress of the victim's relatives, some of whom became audibly emotional during the proceedings. The contrast between the accused's aggressive stance and the family's somber presence highlighted the personal tragedy underlying a case that has significant implications for national justice and the integrity of public commissions.