Madlanga Commission | Kubayi calls for review of protection measures

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Published Dec 13, 2025

The truth-seeking public inquiry known as the Madlanga Commission stands at a critical crossroads, having to confront pivotal questions about the balance between its public inquisitorial character and concern for the safety of witnesses and other roleplayers. Members of the Commission have visited the family of Marius Vlam van der Merwe, who was known as Witness D, when he delivered his testimony before the commission a few weeks ago.

Van der Merwe was gunned down a week ago, a few weeks after he had given evidence that implicated senior officials and officers of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department in serious crimes, including murder, cover-up of that murder, hijacking, extortion and theft of precious minerals. His killing has triggered a fair amount of debate, after Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi called for a review of the Commission's protocols regarding the broadcasting of testimonies of witnesses, as well as decisions about which witnesses testify in camera - or behind closed doors.

In response to Witness D's killing, lobby group Afriforum has now escalated the matter, announcing that it is seeking a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, and is lodging a formal complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, or IPID.

For more on this we are joined by AfriForum spokesperson- Barry Bateman, as well as media scholar and commentator, deputy Chairperson Of SANEF Tshamano Makhadi

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