Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) senior investigator Nomsa Masuku has testified that the South African Police Service (SAPS) delayed the investigation into the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense by failing to report the matter to the police watchdog .
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday, Masuku stated that SAPS incorrectly registered Mbense’s case as an inquest despite his body showing signs of injury and blood when discovered at Duduza Dam in Nigel on April 16, 2022 .
Mbense, a 51-year-old father of five from Brakpan, was killed the previous day. His body was found with his driver’s licence and ID card still in his pocket—items that enabled police to identify him and locate his residence .
“Because they can see that this person was killed, they must register the docket as murder so that it can be investigated to establish what actually transpired to this person. It was for the SAPS to report that matter to Ipid,” Masuku said .
She testified that the case docket contained a witness statement indicating police visited Mbense’s house on the night he disappeared, and a tenant reported the house was in disarray the following day .
Masuku obtained a post-mortem report from Heidelberg pathology services in May 2022, which confirmed Mbense died of blunt force trauma to the head, leading to the docket being reclassified from inquest to murder .
She said the investigation would not have taken nearly four years to conclude if SAPS had alerted IPID to attend the scene .
Alleged interference by police reservist
Masuku also testified that on May 2, 2022, Mbense’s mother informed her that a white man identifying himself as Alexander Frits from the Hawks had visited her .
Frits, a police reservist, allegedly collected evidence and told Mbense’s mother her son’s truck was under investigation for a robbery, instructing her not to allow anyone to drive it .
According to Masuku, Frits misrepresented his identity by wearing a cap bearing the Hawks insignia and allegedly told Mbense’s mother to inform him first if other investigators contacted her .
EMPD deputy chief implicated
Earlier testimony from IPID’s Acting National Head of Investigations, Thuso Keefelakae, implicated suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi in Mbense’s death .
Keefelakae testified that police visited Mbense regarding a stolen truck allegedly involved in stolen goods, and when Mbense failed to provide requested information, he was assaulted .
Witness D, Marius van der Merwe, testified in November 2025 that Mbense was allegedly tortured and killed by law enforcement officers and private security personnel, with his body dumped in a lake on Mkhwanazi’s alleged instruction. Mkhwanazi acknowledged being at the scene but denied wrongdoing .
Deaths of persons of interest
Van der Merwe was shot dead outside his Brakpan home on December 5, 2025—one day after Mkhwanazi completed his commission testimony .
Police have identified 12 persons of interest in Mbense’s murder. Four have died: Van der Merwe, Wiandre Pretorius, Constable Raymond Mzwakhe Khoza, and police informant Jaco Hanekom .
Pretorius, implicated by Van der Merwe in Mbense’s death and a person of interest in Van der Merwe’s murder, died by suicide at a Brakpan filling station on February 7, 2026, days after surviving an attempted hit . His fiancée, police sergeant Juan Mare Eksteen, has since received a notice of suspension .
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed authorities are investigating whether a syndicate is eliminating members based on their involvement in Mbense’s murder .
Case docket with NPA
IPID has concluded its investigation into Mbense’s murder and handed the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng for a decision on possible prosecution, expected before the end of February 2026 .
Masuku’s testimony is scheduled to resume Thursday .