Johannesburg – The family of the man tortured to death by law enforcement and private security officers before his body was dumped in a lake at a dam has turned to AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit for justice.
After more than three years of pleading with authorities for answers, the family of 51-year-old Emmanuel Mbense, a father of five, heard the details of his painful death.
The family said they learnt of the disturbing details of Mbense’s death for the first time when Marius van der Merwe, who testified incognito at the Madlanga Commission as “Witness D”, distanced himself from the deadly torture but admitted to participating in the dumping of the body.
Witness D said before Mbense was killed he had admitted to strealing goods from a warehehouse.
On the morning of Van der Merwe’s scheduled testimony, an investigator from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) warned the family that details about Mbense’s death would emerge.
Weeks after his testimony at the Madlanga Commission, Van der Merwe was shot dead in front of his wife and two kids as they arrived home.
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Mbense was murdered on 15 April 2022 at his home in Brakpan.
His body was discovered the following day at the Duduza dam in Nigel, with his car keys and drivers’ licence in his pocket.
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, the AfricForum Private Prosecutions unit said it has seen Mbense’s death certificate, which records that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to his head.
“For a long time, we lived with unanswered questions, not knowing how he died, what transpired exactly,” said Mbense’s brother, Nhlanhla, who, given the circumstances, asked not to be identified by his full name.
“The truth only started to surface before the commission.
“It forced us to relive the horror of his final moments in public, surrounded by strangers.
“Receiving such devastating news at the same time as everyone else has been very painful.
“It has stripped away any chance for us to prepare ourselves emotionally.
“We were re-traumatised again as the details unfolded.”
Nhlanhla and his family consulted with the unit on 18 November 2025, four days after Van der Merwe testified at the Madlanga Commission.
For three years, Mbense’s brother has repeatedly approached SAPS and IPID for updates on the case, only to be told that everything was going well and that arrests were imminent.
Yesterday, within hours of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit writing to Jennifer Ntlatseng, Head of IPID, an investigator called Nhlanhla to tell him, as before, that the investigation is almost complete and that arrests were imminent.
Advocate Gerrie Nel, Head of the AfriForum Private Prosecution Unit, says in the letter to Ntlatseng that IPID’s conduct suggests that the implicated parties are being shielded from investigation and prosecution.
“We write this letter at a time when it appears that almost all law enforcement agencies’ alleged levels of incompetence and criminal conduct can no longer be kept secret.
“We view this as a stratagem to conceal from the public the extent of criminal activity in which members of law enforcement agencies are involved, as well as the apparent ineffectiveness, if not complicity, of the agencies established to combat criminal activity within law enforcement structures.
“The ongoing commissions of inquiry and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee have indubitably exposed how structures in the criminal justice system fail to conduct objective crime investigations and prosecutions, and that the only guarantee being that the suspects have found safe refuge within collapsed, inept law enforcement agencies,” said Advocate Nel.
According to Advocate Nel recent developments have shone a spotlight on the failure to speedily finalise Mbense’s case.
“Following the apparent assassination of Van der Merwe, who had made no secret of how and who was involved in Mbense’s heinous murder, including his own involvement, the failure to decisively deal with this investigation and bring it to a close after years of investigation is deplorable and calls for a meaningful response as to the status of the matter.
“Deeply concerning is the evidence of retired Deputy Chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police, Revo Spies, who testified that Van der Merwe was identified as a possible witness in terms of Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977,” said Advocate Nel.
“If correct, an explanation for the failure to arrest the suspects and enrol the matter becomes more pressing.”
Nhlanhla described his brother as an anchor in the family, who provided for his mother, siblings and five children.
He said the handling of the case has undermined any faith they had in the criminal justice system.
“The family has been left with no choice but to seek assistance from AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit,” said Nhlanhla.
“The decision was not taken lightly. It reflects the sense of abandonment that we have experienced as a family.
“The very same institutions we have entrusted with seeking justice have failed to act on our behalf.
“This is a direct result of our determination to ensure that accountability and to protect our dignity.”
Barry Bateman, Spokesperson for the unit, said the purpose of the commission of inquiry was to expose criminality and that he hopes this has not played into the hands of the criminals.
“It is unclear if Van der Merwe was approached and agreed to be a cooperating witness with the understanding that he may be indemnified for his role in the murder,” said Bateman.
“But the reality is that either an accused or a state witness publicly testified in a forum outside of the criminal justice system.
“Further, it is inexplicable that Van der Merwe and the others whom he implicated were not arrested and brought to court, where they would have had to apply for bail to be released.
“It is in that forum that the state and the courts can exercise their powers to ensure the safety of witnesses.”
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit has asked IPID to urgently respond to the request for an update and an explanation for the delay in finalising the case.
The unit, which represents Mbense’s family, will closely monitor the case to ensure that everyone, including law enforcement officers, is treated equally before the law and held accountable for their crimes.
The post Family Of Man Tortured To Death By EMPD Demands Answers After ‘Witness D’ Testimony appeared first on The Bulrushes.
