Ramaphosa vows to tighten security for Madlanga commission witnesses

President Cyril Ramaphosa says security will be tightened to protect witnesses and those mentioned at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

This comes after an attempt was made on an alleged law enforcement officer implicated at the commission.

Attempted hit

The attempted hit on Wiandre Pretorius by three gunmen occurred in Klapper Street, near Boekenhout Street in Van Dyk Park, on Thursday morning at about 09:25am.

Pretorius, who survived the hit, was named by Witness D, Marius van der Merwe, in testimony at the Madlanga commission, linking him to the death and torture of a man in Brakpan whose body was later dumped at a lake in Germiston.

Van der Merwe was later gunned down outside his home by unknown assailants.

Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said they are investigating an attempted murder case following the shooting.

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Witnesses

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of his visit to the South African Revenue Service (Sars), Ramaphosa said the attacks on witnesses are unacceptable.

“I mean, obviously, we are appalled. We are terribly appalled at attempts that are being made by those who have been doing wrong things against witnesses. We want to tighten security much more so that those witnesses who are giving evidence online should not be easily identified. 


“But it is completely unacceptable, and this is the reason why we set up the Madlanga commission so that we can get to the heart of all the shenanigans that are happening with regards to these gangs and these entities that are trying to capture the police,” Ramaphosa said.

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Protection

Madlanga commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said that after the assassination of Van de Merwe, the commission met with the relevant law enforcement agencies and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety and security of both witnesses and the commission’s staff.

“We are aware that Mr Pretorius has been in contact with other law enforcement agencies. I don’t want to get into the details of that. I can’t at this point. But of course, we are concerned for the lives of any people who may have information that is relevant to the commission.

Probe

The Madlanga commission is probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the South African Police Service and the criminal justice system.

The commission delivered its interim report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on 17 December, three months after the first hearing took place on 17 September 2025.

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