Cape Town – Leanne van der Merwe, widow of Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe — a key witness in the Madlanga Commission — has paid heartfelt tributes to her late husband following his murder outside their Brakpan home on Friday last week.
Marius, a former Ekurhuleni Metro Police officer and security company owner, had implicated suspended EMPD acting chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi in a 2022 murder.
He had survived two previous assassination attempts before being fatally shot in front of his wife and two young children.
Leanne shared her grief on TikTok, posting videos and messages expressing the profound pain of losing him, which quickly went viral.
“How do I say goodbye? How do I carry on never seeing you again? I love you forever babe, always,” she wrote in one post reflecting on treasured moments with her family.
@_lea_gray_ollie How do I say goodbye? How do I carry on never seeing you again? 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I love you forever babe, always!! #QRFtaskteam #vlam #marius ♬ som original – maya🤍
“I cling to our memories, it’s all I can do now. I don’t know how I’m going to get through this babe. How am I going to live knowing I’ll never hear you say you love me, never get another hug, never get a complaint for not letting you know I’m at work safe. It’s just so unfair,” Leanne wrote in another post.
In another tribute, she wrote: “I love you forever my babe. I don’t know how to be without you. Something in the heavens tells me we’ll be together again.”
Social media users offered condolences and demanded justice.
Police investigations are ongoing, with three persons of interest identified and one in custody.
Authorities say the investigation is at an advanced stage, with a getaway car recovered in Alexandra.
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Picture: TikTok/Leanne Van Der Merwe
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
