Brakpan — 06 December 2025:
South Africa is reeling following the assassination of Marius van der Merwe, the whistleblower publicly known as Witness D, who was gunned down outside his home in Brakpan on 5 December 2025. His murder has ignited national outrage and renewed fears over the escalating targeting of whistleblowers.
Van der Merwe recently delivered pivotal testimony before the Madlanga Commission, officially known as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System. His courageous statements exposed troubling levels of corruption and criminal networks allegedly embedded within the country’s policing and justice structures.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Defend Our Democracy described the killing as a “brutal assassination” and warned that the silencing of whistleblowers has become a direct threat to the integrity of South Africa’s democracy. The organisation said van der Merwe’s testimony gave the nation a clearer view of the rot within the system — and that his death is “a national wound that cannot be ignored.”
His assassination joins a heartbreaking list of whistleblowers who paid the ultimate price for speaking out, including Babita Deokaran, Mpho Mafole, Frans Mathipa, and Zenzele Sithole. Civil society groups say the pattern reflects a collapsing protection system and a climate where telling the truth is increasingly life-threatening.
Defend Our Democracy has called for urgent strengthening of witness-protection mechanisms, decisive prosecution of those behind targeted killings, and robust safeguards for individuals exposing corruption. The organisation emphasised that attacks on whistleblowers are not only crimes against individuals but attacks on South Africa’s democratic values and the spirit of Ubuntu.
As tributes pour in, condolences have been extended to van der Merwe’s wife, children, and extended family. Activists, justice advocates and members of the public are urging the state to ensure that his sacrifice — and the sacrifices of others before him — pave the way for genuine reform.
South Africans are now left to grapple with a painful question:
How many more truth-tellers must die before real protection is enforced?
