🚨 Justice for Emmanuel Mbense: Explosive Testimony Reveals Police Torture, Murder, and Cover-Up
In a harrowing case that has shocked South Africa and exposed alleged rot within the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), the full, horrific truth about the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense has finally come to light. The revelations, detailed during the recent Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, paint a grim picture of police brutality, torture, and a high-level cover-up orchestrated by a senior police official.
For three agonizing years, Mbense’s family was left in the dark, but the public testimony has ignited a fierce demand for justice, championed by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
🔪 The Incident: Torture and Death in Brakpan (April 15, 2022)
The tragic sequence of events began on April 15, 2022, when Emmanuel Mbense, allegedly suspected of involvement in a warehouse robbery, was taken to a home in Brakpan for interrogation.
According to the explosive testimony of “Witness D” (later identified as Marius van der Merwe), the interrogation quickly devolved into a fatal assault. The group involved included officers from the EMPD and the South African Police Service (SAPS), a private security owner, and an informant.
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Method of Torture: Van der Merwe testified that Mbense was subjected to an infamous apartheid-era torture method known as “tubing”—suffocation using a plastic bag.
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The Murder: Despite Mbense’s offer to cooperate, he died during the torture session. His death certificate officially listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.
🌊 The Cover-Up: Order to Dump the Body
Immediately following Mbense’s death, the focus shifted to concealment rather than accountability.
Witness D claimed that the suspended EMPD acting chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, arrived at the scene and allegedly issued the chilling instruction: “throw the suspect’s body into a mine shaft or dump it into a dam.”
Van der Merwe followed the order, disposing of Mbense’s body in the Duduza Dam in Nigel. Mbense’s body was discovered the next day, April 16, 2022, with his car keys and driver’s license still in his pocket.
Key Detail: The cover-up allegedly involved other officials, including an EMPD officer, Kersha Lee Stols, who decided against calling for medical assistance.
🕰️ A Three-Year Wait for Truth
For years, the Mbense family’s quest for answers from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and SAPS was met with silence and stalled promises. The horrific details of Emmanuel’s final hours were finally revealed publicly in November 2025, when Witness D testified at the Madlanga Commission—a commission investigating criminality and corruption within the EMPD.
💔 Tragedy Strikes Again: The Assassination of Witness D
Just weeks after his devastating testimony, the case took another dark turn.
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December 5, 2025: Marius “Witness D” van der Merwe was shot and killed outside his Brakpan home in full view of his family.
This assassination has fueled public outrage, with political parties and civil society groups condemning the failure of South Africa’s witness protection system. The National Police Commissioner has visited the scene, and three persons of interest have reportedly been identified, but the community demands justice for both Mbense and Van der Merwe.
⚖️ Demanding Accountability
The Mbense family, now represented by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, is publicly demanding immediate action.
On December 10, 2025, AfriForum accused authorities of actively shielding the implicated officers and questioned why arrests—particularly that of Mkhwanazi—were not made immediately after the Madlanga Commission testimony. They are committed to ensuring that all those involved in the torture, murder, and subsequent cover-up of Emmanuel Mbense are held accountable.
This case is a critical test for South Africa’s justice system and its ability to root out corruption and criminality within its own police services.
Key Timeline of Events
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April 15, 2022: Emmanuel Mbense is tortured and murdered at a home in Brakpan.
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April 16, 2022: Mbense’s body is discovered in the Duduza Dam in Nigel.
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2022 – Late 2025: Mbense family seeks answers; investigation stalls at IPID.
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November 2025: Marius “Witness D” van der Merwe testifies at the Madlanga Commission, revealing the murder and Mkhwanazi’s alleged order to dump the body.
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November 18, 2025: Mbense family engages AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
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December 5, 2025: Marius “Witness D” van der Merwe is assassinated outside his home.
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December 10, 2025: Mbense family and AfriForum publicly demand urgent arrests and accountability from IPID.
