A police sergeant, Juan Maree Eksteen, has been arrested and formally added as the sixth accused in the investigation into the April 2022 abduction and murder of businessman Emmanuel Mbense, Inside Politics reported.
Arrest follows testimony at commission of inquiry
Eksteen, a partner of the late Wiandre Pretorius — a former police reservist who has previously been tied to the Mbense killing — was named during proceedings at the Madlanga Commission, the source said. Pretorius died by suicide in February after shooting himself at a petrol station in Brakpan on the East Rand.
Last week five other suspects were arrested in connection with the murder and are expected to apply for bail at the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court. They include suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, suspended EMPD officers Keisha‑Leigh Stols and Adrian Mackenzie, suspended South African Police Service (SAPS) officer Bhekokwakhe Sibande and businessman Cobus Janse van Rensburg.
Charges and allegations
The five arrested last week face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice, according to the report. Mbense was taken on 14 April 2022, subjected to an interrogation in which he was allegedly tortured, and then killed. His body was later found in Spaarwater Dam in Duduza, near Nigel.
Evidence heard at the Madlanga Commission has placed Mkhwanazi at the centre of an alleged effort to conceal the killing. A witness known in the commission record as "Witness D" — identified in reporting as security‑company owner Marius van der Merwe — gave evidence that Mkhwanazi arrived after Mbense had been killed and ordered those present to dispose of the body. Van der Merwe said he believed the instruction was directed at him because Mkhwanazi made eye contact when he gave the order, and that he subsequently complied. Mkhwanazi has denied that account.
Van der Merwe was shot dead in December last year, weeks after giving testimony at the commission. Pretorius, who was being investigated in connection with the killing of Van der Merwe, shot himself in front of Eksteen in February.
What this means politically and institutionally
- Police credibility: Another arrest connected to the case reinforces concerns about elements within law‑enforcement institutions implicated in violent crime and obstruction.
- Commission implications: Testimony at the Madlanga Commission has played a central role in identifying alleged participants and informing subsequent arrests.
- Judicial process: The accused will make bail applications at the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court; the outcomes will shape further criminal proceedings and public confidence in accountability mechanisms.
The developments add to a complex chain of events in which witnesses and persons of interest have been killed or have died by suicide, creating difficult evidentiary and prosecutorial challenges.
Accused and current status
| Accused | Status (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Juan Maree Eksteen | Arrested; added as sixth accused |
| Julius Mkhwanazi | Suspended EMPD deputy chief; arrested last week |
| Keisha‑Leigh Stols | Suspended EMPD officer; arrested last week |
| Adrian Mackenzie | Suspended EMPD officer; arrested last week |
| Bhekokwakhe Sibande | Suspended SAPS officer; arrested last week |
| Cobus Janse van Rensburg | Businessman; arrested last week |
The matter was previously investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), and has since been the subject of public hearings before the Madlanga Commission. The arrests and the commission’s findings will be watched closely by citizens and civil‑society groups concerned with police conduct and the safety of witnesses in high‑profile inquiries.
All accused are entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law. The source for this report is Inside Politics by Johnathan Paoli.
