A former South African Police Service (SAPS) Special Task Force member has appeared in court in connection with the murder of Marius van der Merwe, who was widely known as Witness D during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
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.