Former police sharpshooter Matipandile Sotheni was denied bail by the Brakpan magistrates court on Monday in connection with the murder of Marius van der Merwe, a state witness who was gunned down outside his home in December last year.
The court found that releasing Sotheni, who quit the South African Police Service special task force to work in the private security industry, would not be in the interests of justice, citing the strength of the states case, the risk of witness interference and the possibility that he could evade trial.
Sotheni faces multiple charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and firearm-related offences linked to the killing of Van der Merwe on December 5 2025.
