Are police inching closer to arresting Witness D's killers?

Police are confident that they are edging closer to finding the shooters involved in the assassination of Witness D at the Madlanga Commission, Marius 'Vlam' van der Merwe.

Van der Merwe was gunned down on Friday night in front of his wife and children in Brakpan.

At the time, police said van der Merwe arrived at his home with his wife, and as he was about to open the gate, he was shot and sustained wounds to his upper body.

"He was certified dead at the scene. His wife who was a passenger in the car, escaped unharmed and it should be noted that nothing was taken seeing that his firearm, cellphone and wallet were still in his possession," said police spokesperson, Brig Athlenda Mathe. 

She stated that evidence gathered at the scene, confirmed an AK47 automatic rifle was used in the commission of the crime. 

Addressing the media at a briefing on Monday, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said police are confident of a breakthrough.

"We are confident that soon we will register a breakthrough as police remain on high alert for those behind the killing of Mr Van Der Merwe," Masemola said.

He added that police have also located a vehicle used in the hit.

"On the evening of the murder of the deceased, video footage shows a white bakkie pulling up behind his vehicle as he was about to open the gate to his residence and he was thereafter shot several times and died on the scene. At this stage, we do believe that the white Chevrolet bakkie that was abandoned in Alexandra township, right here in Johannesburg fits the description of the vehicle that we have been looking for.

According to a police preliminary investigation, the vehicle was abandoned on Saturday morning by two men, just hours after Van Der Merwe was shot and killed," Masemola said.

The vehicle will be taken for further analysis.

Police have also revealed that three persons of interest have been identified.

"We are closing in on these suspects as our investigations reach a very advanced and sensitive stage," the national commissioner said.

Police are further looking into an attempted hit on van der Merwe's life back in September, in which two white men, travelling in a Mahindra bakkie, were following him.

"We are still looking for the murder weapon that was used in the commission of this crime. The possible motive is still under investigation, and we are not going to divulge any information on the possible motive for now until arrests are made and the case is in court," the police chief said.