President Ramaphosa condemns murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the murder of Marius van der Merwe, a Brakpan security industry member and former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) official who recently testified as a witness before the Madlanga Commission.

Van der Merwe was shot multiple times in front of his family outside their Brakpan home on Friday night, the Presidency confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday morning.

Ramaphosa extended his condolences to the bereaved family, describing the killing as an attack on someone who had “served the cause of justice and integrity” through his testimony at the commission.

“While our law enforcement agencies establish the circumstances leading to this heinous act, I am appalled and saddened by this attack on a former public servant who recently served the cause of justice and integrity by testifying at the Madlanga Commission,” the President said.

The Madlanga Commission, formally the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, was established by Ramaphosa in July 2025.

Ramaphosa said his thoughts were with the “deeply traumatised family” who witnessed the attack.

“They faced death in circumstances that suggest Van der Merwe's brave testimony angered elements in our society who want to undermine the rule of law and set back the quest for truth and consequences in the fight against corruption,” he said.

Ramaphosa vowed that government would intensify measures to protect whistle-blowers and commission witnesses, noting that their work is vital “in the face of criminal threats”.

“As government, we will redouble our efforts to protect whistleblowers, including witnesses before the Madlanga Commission and the Commission itself,” Ramaphosa said.

He urged law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.

IOL