Blunt force trauma, a body in a dam, and three years of silence : Witness D's testimony helps family's fight for answers

Emmanuel Mbense was brutally killed on April 15, 2022. His body was discovered the following day in Duduza Dam in Nigel, Gauteng. His car keys and driver’s licence were in his pocket.

Cause of death? Blunt force trauma to the head... At least that's what his death certificate stated. 

For the last three years, his family questioned the circumstances that led to his demise. 

It was thanks to the testimony of Witness D at the Madlanga Commission, Marius 'Vlam' van der Merwe, that the Mbense family was able to slowly piece together what led to the father of five's brutal murder. 

During his in-camera testimony, van der Merwe alleged that 51-year-old Mbense was tortured to death and he (van der Merwe) was ordered to dispose of his body.

Mbense's older brother, Nhlanhla, said the family was left devastated by van der Merwe's words.

Van der Merwe was murdered on Friday, in full view of his wife and children. Police believe van der Merwe's murder was a hit and have since found the vehicle involved in the murder and have identified three persons of interest in the case. 

"Our world collapsed all over again as we listened. For a long time, we lived with unanswered questions, not knowing how he died. Hearing the truth in that way, in front of strangers… it forced us to relive his suffering. We were retraumatised as each detail unfolded," he said. 

The family has since turned to AfriForum to assist in seeking justice. 

The advocacy group's Head of Private Prosecution, Advocate Gerrie Nel, has written to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) Head, Jennifer Ntlatseng, who revealed that arrests are imminent.

The Unit has further asked Ipid to urgently respond to the request for an update and an explanation for the delay in finalising the case.

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