A 41-year-old man, identified as police informant Wiandre Pretorius, has died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a filling station in Brakpan. The incident occurred on Saturday night, just days after he survived a separate attempted assassination.
National Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, confirmed that various police units were mobilised to the garage just before 10:00 p.m. after reports of an alleged suicide. Upon arrival, officers found Pretorius deceased on the floor with a 9mm firearm next to him.
Mathe stated that an inquest docket has been registered and is under investigation. According to preliminary reports, Pretorius arrived at the station with a friend, followed by his fiancée, who is a police officer. An argument ensued before he allegedly took his own life.
The death follows a violent attempt on Pretorius’s life earlier in the week outside his Boksburg home, where assailants fired approximately 16 bullets into his vehicle—a white double-cab bakkie. A case of attempted murder is being investigated in connection with that incident.
Pretorius was recently implicated in the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry by a witness known as ‘Witness D’—later identified as Marius van der Merwe, who was himself slain outside his Brakpan home. The testimony linked Pretorius to evidence surrounding the 2022 murder of Emmanuel in Brakpan.
When asked about Pretorius’s role, Brigadier Mathe indicated he was a “person of interest” in several investigations, including the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) probe into Benze’s murder. She deferred to IPID for further details on his alleged involvement, noting that both Pretorius and Witness D were on the scene when Benze was killed.
Mathe confirmed that CCTV footage from the petrol station has been collected and is being studied by detectives. She urged against speculation as investigations continue.
At the scene, a reporter noted the absence of an ongoing police presence, with cleaning already underway. Sources at the garage indicated Pretorius parked his car, stepped out, and fired a single fatal shot without entering the building. The motive remains unclear.
Authorities continue to investigate both the circumstances of Pretorius’s death and the earlier attempt on his life, coordinating with all relevant role players and potential witnesses.