Marius van der Merwe struggled to open the front gate when he and his family pulled up to their home just after 8pm on Friday night. Moments later, gunfire pierced the air, followed by screams.
Van der Merwe was shot dead in front of his family in an apparent hit in Brakpan, Gauteng, home. It was the second attempt on his life in two weeks. This time, shots to his head and leg had dealt the final blow, one he told friends and family he knew was coming.
The alleged hitmen sped off, leaving Van der Merwe’s wife and children unharmed.
Followed
The Citizen reported that two weeks ago a car had followed Van der Merwe and then tried to ram him off the road. A gunfight ensued.
He was reportedly followed again on Friday night, this time from a bridge along a main road into their street. It slowed down as they approached their house. It appeared to drive past nonchalantly as Van der Merwe attempted to open the gate, before its occupants opened fire.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Van der Merwe’s mother-in-law, Lesley McLean, remembered the sound of gunshots and her husband telling her to get down.
Those orders of caution were followed by desperate cries as they ran to investigate.
“We ran outside because [Van der Merwe’s wife] Lee-Anne was shouting, ‘Daddy, daddy, Marius has been shot.’ As we approached the gate, she screamed, saying Marius is dead.”
McLean said Van der Merwe’s eight-year-old son could not be consoled as he knelt beside his father’s body, crying.
His wife, still coming to terms with losing the love of her life, simply penned the note: “I have lost the love of my life. My children have lost their father. And the country has lost a hero.”
ALSO READ: Not the first time hitmen tried to kill Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe
Other witnesses go to ground
The former EMPD officer and private security firm owner had recently testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into police corruption and criminal collusion. There, he implicated suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) top cop Julius Mkhwanazi in criminal activity.
He told the commission that Mkhwanazi had ordered him to dispose of the body of a suspect who died in police custody in 2022. Fearing for his life, he said he complied with the order and dumped the body in a dam.
While police have not confirmed whether the alleged hit was related to his testimony at the commission, The Citizen understands the murder has already shocked others into pulling out of proceedings.
Sources say several people who were set to testify have not been given protection and have already received threats.
One witness claimed their home had been broken into recently, just days after they found their alarm system had been tampered with.
The witness has also apparently been followed and has hired private security to protect themselves and their family.
Another said they had incriminating evidence that they wanted to present to the commission, but feared they would be next on the hit list.
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