Overview
- Police have launched a manhunt for the suspected hit orderer and gunmen, and are seeking the AK‑47 used in the shooting.
- National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is set to brief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga on investigative progress and has engaged with the bereaved family.
- Marius 'Vlam' Van der Merwe, 41, was shot dead outside his Brakpan home on Friday night while with his wife and two children; police say the attackers used a white Nissan NP200.
- Reporting describes CCTV footage showing him speaking to the assailants and attempting to draw his own weapon before being shot multiple times.
- His November testimony to the Madlanga Commission detailed torture and a forced body disposal involving EMPD officers, and his widow’s TikTok posts have drawn nationwide support and renewed calls for stronger witness protection.