Sotheni to know his fate on June 1

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]The bail application of former police special task force officer Mati Pandile Soteni has been postponed for the preparation of judgement. Soteni is facing 16 charges linked to the December 2025 murder of whistleblower Marizanne Vermeulen, also known as witness D.

[00:00:19]Your only place correspondent to 1 June Monday 1 June 2026 for judgement in your bail application hearing posted in open.

[00:00:32]This comes after the defense submitted a supplementary affidavit in response to additional charges brought by the state.

[00:00:40]In the affidavit, Soteni maintains that he did not kill witness D.

[00:00:45]The state says the shooting happened at about 20:32.

[00:00:49]It is important to inform the court that at the time of this alleged offense, I was not in Court Street where Mr. van der Merwe resides. My tracker does not place me there. The state does not give an explanation to the court that at some point it was a white party that was sought. This shows the timeline is not clear. The state has not explained this properly. The state does not deal with the tracking evidence.

[00:01:14]The deceased's car had a tracker, but the state does not explain its data. My vehicle tracking does not place me at the exact scene. At 20:32, according to the tracker report, I was in the vicinity of Brakpan, but not at the scene. I was nearby, but two streets away from the scene.

[00:01:32]The defense further argues that the state must prove an agreement existed between Soteni and the other accused to commit the crime.

[00:01:41]Veandre Pretorius was an undesirable character when you start following.

[00:01:49]Now, Mr. Veandre Pretorius is dead.

[00:01:53]On on conspiracy and common purpose, the state has to prove that there was an agreement between the applicant and other people to commit a particular offense.

[00:02:06]Now, as things stand, we've got the applicant and we've got Mr. Pretorius who's who's gone to sing with the angels.

[00:02:17]How is the state going to succeed on the conspiracy?

[00:02:26]How is the state going to succeed on the common purpose?

[00:02:32]State advocate opposed the bail application, arguing that his release would endanger the public and interfere with witnesses.

[00:02:41]Now, I'm showing the likelihood that the applicant will will endanger the safety of the public if if he's released on bail.

[00:02:49]The applicant was found in possession of a rifle firearm and subsequent in a substantial quantity of live ammunitions. Amongst them were state-owned ammunition. That he tells the court that he he has no idea who the witnesses are. He knows from his own version, from his own words, that in fact, he knows the firearm what that is at this place or at Bedfordview residents that from the Bedfordview a colleague of his came and took that firearm from there to the company.

[00:03:19]By his own address before this court, he's disputing the chain of custody of this firearm. Therefore, common sense says that person is going to be called to come and testify.

[00:03:28]The judgment will determine whether Soteni can continue to attend court proceedings while out on bail or must remain in custody.

[00:03:37]For News 24, Channel 405, I am Zorlala Sholwana at the Brakpan Magistrates Court.