Police are continuing their search for the firearm used in the killing of Marius van der Merwe, a key witness in the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Van der Merwe, who testified as Witness D before the commission, was shot outside his home in Brakpan in December. The attack reportedly took place in front of his wife and children.
Authorities have arrested the suspected gunman, Matipandile Sotheni, a former police officer. He was taken into custody in Johannesburg over the weekend and appeared before the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Suspect Described As Highly Trained
The South African Police Service has described Sotheni as a “lethal” individual due to the specialised training he received while serving in the Special Task Force.
Investigators believe the killing was carried out in a drive-by shooting. The vehicle used by the attackers allegedly moved slowly past Van der Merwe’s driveway before shots were fired.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the suspect fired two precise shots from the moving vehicle, suggesting a high level of skill.
Weapon Still Missing
Despite the arrest, the firearm believed to have been used in the killing has not yet been recovered.
Mathe said ballistics experts who attended the scene indicated that the weapon used in the attack was an AK-47. Police have since obtained search and seizure warrants to search several properties where the suspect may have hidden the weapon.
Authorities also confirmed that multiple firearms were found in the vehicle linked to the murder.
Investigations into the killing are ongoing.
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