Matapandile Sotheni, 41, appeared before the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng on Monday morning facing charges of murder, attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The charges have been classified as a Schedule 6 offence, the most serious category under South African criminal law.

Sotheni was arrested in Johannesburg on Saturday after investigators identified him as the primary suspect in the December 2025 assassination of Van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe had previously testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry where he exposed alleged corruption and misconduct within parts of the justice system.

His killing came shortly after his testimony, raising serious concerns about witness safety in high-profile investigations.

The case has been postponed to 25 March 2026. The State has indicated that it will oppose bail and the accused is expected to remain in custody until his next court appearance.

SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the suspect is a former member of the SAPS Special Task Force.

According to Mathe, Sotheni joined the police service in 2005 and became a member of the elite Special Task Force unit in 2010, before resigning in 2019.

Mathe described the arrest as unfortunate given the high cost of training members of the specialised tactical unit. She said it costs more than R1 million to train a single Special Task Force operator.

She added that after leaving the police service, the suspect entered the private security sector, where many former specialised officers are recruited.

Mathe said it is concerning when people with specialised training become linked to serious crimes and emphasised that criminal elements must be rooted out wherever they appear.

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In a letter addressed to the IFP, it read: “With reference to the letter dated 5 February 2026, the requested date of 15 February 2026 has been accepted by the IFP negotiating team.

“Please note that the meeting will be held on the said date (to be announced). We apologise for the late response. We had to cancel and postpone other commitments on the day.”

This will be the first meeting between the two parties since its formation when the late former leader Zanele Magwaza-Msibi broke away from the IFP in 2011.

The NFP recently announced that it will host a programme to celebrate the posthumous birthday of its founder, kaMagwaza-Msibi, who would have turned 64 this month.

The much anticipated meeting will take place on Sunday.

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He insists he appeared to give evidence on corruption in the criminal justice system and warns that if the hearing turns into a “kangaroo court” focused on defending himself, he will not continue assisting the committee.

It seemed as if O’Sullivan was angered by EFF leader Julius Malema who requesting that their legal team or parliamentary secretary to get the Acsa advert where they were advertising the position which they offered to O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan jumped and said:

“Am I here to give evidence or to be interrogated? I am going to withdraw my cooperation. I am not going to assist in a kangaroo court. I came here to give evidence about the corruption in the criminal justice system which has resulted in the mess that we have in the criminal justice system today.

“The false allegations that have been made against me will take a lot more than an hour to get through. And if it’s going to be curtailed because people don’t want to hear the truth, it means what we’re actually doing is not allowing a witness to explain why this happened and why that happened.”

He further accused other witnesses of peddling false narratives that he had infiltrated the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) for ulterior motives.

“What I cannot contemplate is that everyone should think I woke up one day and decided to infiltrate IPID, the police and the NPA, because that pack of lies has been peddled in this House by multiple witnesses that belong in prison.

“I didn’t come here just to defend myself against the allegations of criminals. And if that’s the only thing the committee wants to hear, then it will be a problem, because the reality is that those allegations were only made against me because I took steps to hold them accountable for their criminal conduct,” he said.

O’Sullivan will continue with his testimony today at 10:00am.

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O’Sullivan’s affidavit contained a condition on paragraph 3 where he stated that he will not answer anything beyond 1990.

This angered most of the honourable members from Umkhonto Wesizwe Party, Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA.

O’Sullivan told the AdHocCommittee he won’t answer questions about events before 1990 because of serious personal security concerns, citing multiple attempts on his life.

He argued that providing such information could expose personal details and put him and his family at risk, which he is entitled to protect.

“I made it clear that I’m not going to be providing any of that information, it’s just not going to be advanced and we can sit here all day and you can ask me a million questions I will not provide that information,’ he said.

Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) leader Julius Malema was the first one to object the condition put forward by O’Sullivan.

“He can’t say to us we can’t ask him anything about things that happened before 90 what if the business you are talking about started engaging in wrongdoing before 1990,” he said.

MKP David Skosana also jumped in and question his background.

“This affidavit does not have an introduction. We don’t know the man seating before. There is nothing talking about where he was born, where he grew up and the schools he went to. Nothing. Even you chair, you don’t know this man,” he said.

ActionSA’s Dereleen James said: “Every witness that has come before us had a CV. Where is the CV of the witness? He can’t just come here and tell us to dance to his tune.”

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A police officer was assigned to investigate a missing person case involving Karabo Kitima (23), who resides at Vlaklaagte. During the investigation, the officer conducted enquiries with the missing person’s friends, neighbours, and relatives; however, no information regarding his whereabouts could be established.

On 06 February 2026, the investigating officer received information from informers regarding suspicious activity at the suspect’s place of residence.

It was reported that the suspect was busy gardening in a manner that raised suspicion.

On 07 February 2026, all relevant stakeholders, including the K9 Unit, were summoned to the identified premises. Upon arrival, a K9 handler instructed the police dog to search the yard, particularly at the back of the property. The dog indicated a specific spot by digging, prompting the handler to alert police members.

The Fire and Rescue Services were called to the scene and excavated the indicated area. A decomposed body of a male was discovered, wearing clothing similar to that of the missing person.

The suspect was subsequently arrested and is expected to appear soon at Mkobola Magistrate’s Court. Investigations are ongoing.

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Emmanuel Mbense, a 51-year-old dad from Brakpan in Gauteng, was murdered back on April 15, 2022. His body turned up the next day in Duduza Dam near Nigel, still with his car keys and driver’s license in his pocket. The official cause? Blunt force trauma to the head.

For over three years, his family begged authorities for answers about what really happened. They believe he was tortured and killed by a mix of law enforcement and private security folks before being dumped in the dam. Eventually, they turned to a private prosecution group to push for justice.

Details started emerging during a commission inquiry, where a key witness—known only as “Witness D”—spilled shocking info. He claimed he was told to get rid of Mbense’s body after the murder, on orders from people linked to law enforcement. This testimony finally helped the family make sense of the nightmare they’d been living.

But then things got even darker. Witness D himself was gunned down outside his home in Brakpan. And now, just days after investigators wrapped up their file on Mbense’s case, another suspect, former police reservist Wiandre Pretorius, has died.

On a recent Sunday, police spokespeople explained that out of 12 people flagged as persons of interest in Mbense’s death, only eight are still alive. Pretorius was one of them, along with Witness D. What’s raising alarms is how the others went: three were killed in cold-blooded, execution-style hits. The first in March 2023 at a filling station, the second in October 2025 at home, and the third being Witness D, shot down outside his place.

Pretorius, 41, apparently took his own life late one night at an Astron Energy filling station in Brakpan, using a 9mm handgun. He’d just survived what looked like an assassination attempt outside his Boksburg home the week before. By morning, station workers were hosing down the bloodied scene, sweeping it away like nothing happened, while people walked by casually.

Cops are probing hard: Is this a group turning on itself, wiping out anyone who knows too much about Mbense’s murder? That’s the big question hanging over everything right now.

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Last year, we saw hundreds of those troops return after serving in the eastern part of the DRC as part of a regional mission. Now, the focus is on the UN side.

The decision came straight from the top: President Cyril Ramaphosa chatted with the UN Secretary-General on January 12, 2026, to let him know. South Africa has been one of the biggest contributors to this UN stabilization mission, called MONUSCO.

Why the pullout? It’s about rethinking where the military’s resources go after 27 years of support. The mission started back in 1999 to help with a ceasefire agreement and has grown to include protecting civilians, aid workers, and human rights folks from violence, plus backing the Congolese government’s push for stability and peace.

South Africa and the UN will team up to figure out the exact timeline and details, but the goal is to finish by the end of 2026. The UN chief appreciated the heads-up and the long-term commitment.

Even with this withdrawal, South Africa isn’t stepping away from the DRC entirely. They’ll keep strong ties and support peace efforts through groups like the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the UN to help bring real, lasting peace to the region.

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The Board of Regents is the highest advisory and governance body within MKI, responsible for providing strategic oversight, safeguarding academic excellence and guiding the Institute’s long-term vision. Major Daughter joins this governing council with an extensive and influential portfolio that spans ministry, media, authorship, leadership mentoring and community development.

Recognised as an international minister, broadcaster, church historian, and humanitarian, Major Daughter has built a far-reaching legacy through her work across Africa and other global regions. Her appointment reflects MKI’s commitment to growing a leadership ecosystem that integrates spiritual insight, historical understanding, marketplace excellence and humanitarian impact.

Marketplace Kingdom Institute exists to develop high-impact leaders who are equipped to influence business, governance, economics, ministry and other sectors with Kingdom values. Through its U.S. base and global network, MKI provides training programmes designed to empower believers to operate with excellence and integrity in the marketplace.

In announcing her appointment, MKI highlighted her unique blend of prophetic clarity, historical insight, organisational leadership and humanitarian service. Her addition to the Board is expected to strengthen MKI’s expansion into Africa while enhancing the Institute’s international footprint and academic vision.

Major Daughter’s appointment further positions MKI as a global force preparing a new generation of marketplace leaders who are spiritually grounded, historically informed and socially impactful.

More information is available on the official Marketplace Kingdom Institute website:

https://www.marketplacekingdominstitute.com/

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This comes after as the result of the ongoing deteriorating relationship between South Africa and USA which emanates from the allegations that were to President Donald Trump that the country was involve in white genocide.

Speaking to MDN News, founding member of Dungeon Trucking Vusimuzi Mbatha who hails from Ennerdale in Soweto in Johannesburg said that staying in the US at the moment was not conducive for them.

“We are under a microscope at the moment. Any missteps become their weapons while the Black South Africans in the US have not been supported in developing an empowered community that can defend itself unlike the other groups who are heavily supported by their home governments and industries,” he said.

“We are being let down by our own government who is not looking out for the interest of the Black South Africans. We are facing a situation where our own government back home is aware that most black South Africans are not getting their visas approved just because of the ongoing war of words because of the allegations that people are painting the picture that South Africa is a bad country to live. We are not different from the South Africans that are stuck in Ukraine. We have been in the forefront fighting for the Black Migrants in the US yet our government is giving us support that we need,” he said.

Another South African citizen Yoliswa Cele who has been living in the US for more than 10 years said that said that Afrophobia began during the first terms of Trump administration.

“This is also not new, South Africans have been raising concerns about the situation for over a decade. This is the fuel that helps drive the engine of actual violence from the minority operating out of xenophobia and hate. This is what makes the non-Xenophobic but very concerned majority begin to push for less friendly policies.

“We still have to be accountable to each other. South African immigration laws have been severely violated for over a decade, not to mention our social laws hence some of us no longer speak up when our fellow South Africans are harshly expressing their concerns and experiences,” she said.

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Adoons was granted bail of R2,000 in July, with strict conditions. He may not interfere with the investigation or intimidate state witnesses. He must also report to his nearest police station every Friday and Sunday.

Kamogelo was allegedly kidnapped after school in June by men who impersonated police officers. After the learner was picked up by a driver working for one of his parents in a Suzuki, the alleged kidnappers followed and stopped them near Vereeniging Drive.

Daniel Malebatso, the driver, alleges he heard a siren behind them and the occupants of a white Toyota Hilux double-cab bakkie, fitted with blue “police lights”, pulled them over.

Kamogelo and Malebatso were separated, and Malebatso was told to drive ahead to the Park Road police station while they would follow with Kamogelo. The Toyota Hilux, however, vanished from sight when a truck passed between the Suzuki and the Hilux.

“The matter of Nzima Adoons has been postponed to January for further investigation,” said Free State NPA spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane. “He is facing charges of extortion, as well as kidnapping, and he is out on bail.”

Adoons was linked to the case by the tracker of the vehicle he drove on the day that Kamogelo was kidnapped. This was revealed by investigating officer Lt. Col. Kelaotswe Lebodi when he testified.

Lebodi testified in October that the vehicle tracker apparently placed him at the exact location where Kamogelo was last seen. Five other suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping: three at a house in Kanana, Wepener, and two others on the road between Kwetla and Wepener with the victim in their company.

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