WATCH | What CCTV caught just before Wiandre Pretorius took his own life

Moments before taking his own life, Wiandre Pretorius was allegedly seen stumbling on his feet, arguing with a woman, believed to be his partner, and brandishing a gun before pointing the weapon at his head.

Shaun Mim, operations manager at Astron petrol station in Brakpan, where Pretorius took his own life, told Sowetan this is what was caught on their CCTV camera beforepoliceconfiscated the footage.

He said one of the first things the police noted when looking at the footage was his alleged intoxication.

“Two things stood out when looking at the footage. Number one, he was [allegedly] intoxicated. Number two, it was a heated argument between him and [presumably] his partner. He was unable to stand and walk properly. That was one of the first things the police noted when reviewing the video footage.”

Mim said he was at home when a call came in at 9.20pm that Pretorius had shot himself at the petrol station.

“I received a phone call saying that staff had witnessed an incident at the entrance of our filling station. That’s when I responded immediately.

“I arrived on site within about 14 minutes. When I arrived at the site, security was already on the scene with EMS, and the police had cordoned off the entire area, both entrances.”

He said, from the footage, Pretorius arrived with a friend in a white VW Amarok.

“They sat in the vehicle for some time. I then presume that his wife or girlfriend arrived shortly thereafter. A small argument ensued when he went to the passenger side where she was seated.

“After the argument, she exited the vehicle, and they continued arguing outside. During the argument, he took out his firearm and waved it around, and an incident then occurred,” Mim said.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed they are investigating the matter.

“Police confirm an inquest docket has been registered after a 41-year-old man allegedly shot and killed himself at a filling station in Brakpan on Saturday.

“All role players, including police detectives and forensic experts, attended the crime scene. This matter is under investigation,” she said.

The Ekurhuleni police reservist had claimed a few days ago that he survived an attempted assassination.

He said assailants had pulled up behind him in his driveway and shot at his vehicle. Police found his bakkie riddled by 16 bullets and opened an attempted murder case.

Pretorius was implicated in the murder of Emmanuel Mbhense by slain Marius “Vlam” van der Merwe, also known as Witness D at the Madlanga commission of inquiry.

Mbhense was allegedly tortured by members of the Ekurhuleni metro police in April 2022 during an interrogation.

Van der Merwe was murdered in December in Brakpan. Mathe said Pretorius was a person of interest in Van der Merwe’s murder.

Sowetan