Matipandile Sotheni, a former elite police unit member, is expected to appear in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on multiple charges, including premeditated murder.
Two months after Matipandile Sotheni was arrested for the murder of Witness D in the Madlanga Commission, his fight for bail continues in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Sotheni, a former member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Special Task Force, was arrested on March 14, 2026, in connection with the brutal murder of EMPD officer Marius van der Merwe.
He faces 16 charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and attempted murder.
Police allege Sotheni was the gunman in a drive-by shooting that killed Van der Merwe, outside his Brakpan home on December 5, 2025.
