State Extracted Prison Cellphone Data in ‘Witness D’ Whistleblower Murder Trial
The high-profile murder trial of former police Special Task Force member Matipandile Sotheni has taken a critical turn after it emerged in court that forensic investigators have finalized downloading data from a contraband cellphone linked to the accused.
Sotheni, 42, appeared before the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
He faces 16 criminal counts, including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and three counts of attempted murder.
The charges stem from the brutal December 2025 assassination of whistleblower Marius van der Merwe, widely known as “Witness D” at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
During the latest courtroom proceedings, the state provided a crucial update regarding its forensic cyber investigations.
Authorities revealed that tracker analysis and the extraction of internal cellphone data have been successfully completed.
The prosecution is now finalizing the mapping and plotting of the data, which is expected to uncover specific individuals the accused was allegedly communicating with from behind bars.
Van der Merwe was gunned down outside his Brakpan home in front of his wife and children shortly after blowing the lid on high-level corruption within local law enforcement units.
The hit sent shockwaves across South Africa, drawing strong condemnation from The Presidency.
The state plans to use the extracted mobile data and cell tower mapping as core technical evidence.
Once the plotting phase is fully finalized, prosecutors intend to officially transfer the case to the High Court for trial.
Sotheni, who has previously denied the allegations, remains remanded in custody after being denied bail earlier this year.
The accused was arrested on March 14, 2026, following investigations into matters arising from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
