Brakpan, South Africa – In a tragic development, Wiandre Pretorius, a police reservist implicated in a high-profile murder case, has died after shooting himself at a petrol station in Brakpan on the East Rand. The incident occurred in front of his partner, Juan-Mare Eksteen, who serves as a police sergeant and was also mentioned during proceedings at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Pretorius’s death comes just days after he survived an apparent assassination attempt outside his home in Boksburg. During that event, three unidentified gunmen opened fire on his bakkie, discharging approximately 16 rounds as he was leaving his residence in Klapper Street, Van Dyk Park. Pretorius managed to escape without injury, though his vehicle sustained significant damage from the gunfire. In a voice note recorded shortly after the attack, he urgently called for assistance, stating that his vehicle had been heavily damaged and expressing uncertainty about whether it was a targeted hit.
The Boksburg shooting is part of a series of violent incidents involving individuals connected to the Madlanga Commission, a judicial inquiry examining criminality, political interference, and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system. Pretorius was named in testimony by Witness D, identified as Marius van der Merwe, who described him as someone who presented himself as a South African Police Service (SAPS) member. Van der Merwe himself was fatally shot outside his Brakpan home in December 2025. However, Gauteng police have stated that no connections have been established between these attacks.
Pretorius, along with others, faced allegations related to the 2022 killing of a suspect in Brakpan. According to details from the commission, the group was accused of torturing the individual before his death, after which the body was dumped at a lake in Germiston. Pretorius had connections to Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has completed its probe into the matter and forwarded the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for review.
Authorities are currently probing the circumstances of Pretorius’s suicide, with no further details released on potential motives or additional evidence at this time. This case highlights ongoing concerns raised by the Madlanga Commission regarding integrity issues within law enforcement structures.
