Ex-SAPS Elite Officer Charged in Whistleblower Murder

A former elite South African Police Service officer appeared in court on Monday charged with the assassination of a key whistleblower who had testified about police corruption weeks earlier. Matipandile Sotheni, 41, faces multiple serious offenses including premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of attempted murder, and unlawful possession of ammunition and a firearm. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Marius van der Merwe, known as Witness D during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, outside his home in Brakpan, east of Johannesburg, on December 5, 2025.

Van der Merwe, a former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department officer, had testified in November 2025 before the commission, which is probing allegations of corruption, political interference, and criminal collusion in South Africa's criminal justice system. His evidence focused on a murder investigation in Brakpan and alleged cover-ups involving department members. Authorities allege that Sotheni, who conspired with others to target Van der Merwe, conducted surveillance on the victim before positioning himself near the residence. As Van der Merwe returned home with his wife and two young...