Witness D’s Testimony Exposes Identity Of Man Brutally Killed And Dumped In Dam As Family Demands Justice 3 Years After

The mystery surrounding the death of 51-year-old Emmanuel Mbense has haunted his family since 15 April 2022. His body was found the following day floating in Duduza Dam in Nigel, Gauteng, with his car keys and driver’s licence still in his pocket.

The death certificate pointed to blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death, but the circumstances leading to his killing remained painfully unclear.

For three years, the father of five’s loved ones waited for answers — answers they finally began to receive after testimony at the Madlanga Commission.

Commission Testimony Reveals Disturbing New Claims

It was the evidence of Witness D, identified as Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, that helped the Mbense family start to reconstruct what happened on the night of his murder.

During his in-camera testimony, van der Merwe claimed that Mbense had been tortured to death before he was instructed to dispose of the body.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: IPID Launches Investigation After Woman Found Dead In Upington Police Holding Cell

Mbense’s older brother, Nhlanhla, said the family was shattered by what they heard.
“Our world collapsed all over again as we listened. For a long time, we lived with unanswered questions, not knowing how he died.

“Hearing the truth in that way, in front of strangers… it forced us to relive his suffering. We were retraumatised as each detail unfolded,” he said.

Killing of Key Witness Sparks Further Alarm

In a dramatic turn, van der Merwe was murdered last Friday in front of his wife and children. Police suspect the killing was a hit. Investigators have since recovered the vehicle linked to the incident and have identified three persons of interest.

 

Following these developments, the Mbense family has enlisted the support of AfriForum to push for justice.

Ipid Pressured Over Delays as Arrests Loom

AfriForum’s Head of Private Prosecution, Advocate Gerrie Nel, has written to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) head Jennifer Ntlatseng, who confirmed that arrests are imminent.

The Private Prosecution Unit has also requested an urgent update, calling on Ipid to explain why the case has taken so long to finalise.

---

For More, Follow SurgeZirc SA On  Facebook, X,  Instagram and Bluesky