Mystery Deepens: Who Really Killed Marius van der Merwe?

A SENIOR Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer who worked with slain Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry witness, Marius van der Merwe, has ruled out zama-zamas from his cold-blooded murder on Friday.

The officer, who was part of the operation to clear the Plastic City informal settlement in Brakpan of illegal miners, said if the zama-zamas wanted to kill Van der Merwe, they would have done so a long time ago.

The Plastic City informal settlement is a longstanding complaint by the Brakpan community, and law enforcement agencies demolished thousands of shacks in October.

"Even on the same day he came back from the Madlanga Commission, we spoke over the phone, and I asked if he was okay. He said he was, but I could hear he was shaking," said the officer who asked not to be named.

The officer added that in the same call, Van der Merwe admitted that he was not fine but had his firearm, which he carried with him wherever he went. "One thing I know about him, he always wanted to do things the right way," added the officer.

Although Van der Merwe, who was affectionately known as "Vlam" and "Yster", Afrikaans for flame and iron, was a family man, the officer said he dropped everything when his community was affected by crime.

The officer is adamant that illegal miners had enough opportunities to kill him if they wanted to.

"If it were zama-zamas, they were supposed to kill him a long time ago. Marius used to chase zama-zamas alone until they reached the shaft. If they wanted to kill him, they would have done that by now. Zama-zamas shoot you there at the mine; they don't move out of their territory. That's what I know because I've worked with zama-zamas before," the officer added.

He said it was unlikely for zama-zamas to trace people's home addresses.

"They don't have that time because most of their time is spent underground. If they wanted to kill him, they would have done so a long time ago because Marius operated even alone. He would go there alone even at night," the officer added.

The officer said Van der Merwe had been responsible for closing most of the shafts from which the zama-zamas operated.

"If they wanted to kill him, they were going to finish him there. He has faced them head-on; he was not scared of them," explained the officer.

"We know they kill, but to spend time on finding out where he stayed, what car he drove, that is not zama-zama style."

According to the officer, the zama-zamas' modus operandi is to kill a person where they work, as they have snipers. The officer said Van der Merwe complained about a lot of people, including some in the private security sector.

"There are some people he was never comfortable working with," the officer added.

The officer praised Van der Merwe for his bravery in testifying at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

"When he told us during the operation, we thought he was playing. We took it as a joke. It was brave of him to go there. He had his enemies, and he knew them. I can't say if it's law enforcement or his colleagues in the private security companies." 

For the officer, it now makes sense why Van der Merwe preferred to work alone, which means he was uncomfortable with sections of law enforcement and private security companies.

Van der Merwe was the owner of QTR Task Team, which he established in 2023.

Speaking outside Van der Merwe's home in Brakpan on Saturday, ANC Ekurhuleni regional secretary Jongisizwe Dlabathi said it was quite disturbing to see what his wife and family were going through.

The Ekurhuleni Metro Finance MMC described Witness D's slaying as an attack on justice and accountability and undermined the rule of law.

Dlabathi said the killing was probably linked to Van der Merwe's testimony at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

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