A WARRANT of arrest has been issued against former Gupta-linked mine general manager George Peter van der Merwe.
This after he failed to appear in the Randburg Magistrates Court on Thursday, 14 May 2026, on charges of intimidation.
However, the warrant was held over until his next court appearance.
This happened after his lawyer, Rashaad Moosa, gave reasons for his client's no-show in court.
The 50-year-old man was arrested dramatically in the Little Karoo, Western Cape, earlier in 2026.
He had been on the run for several days.
He's accused of leading a group of armed men to threaten a senior Liberty Coal executive with death.
According to the charges, Van der Merwe went to the home of Liberty Coal executive Sihle Ntuli in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, on 20 January 2026.
He was accompanied by armed men and allegedly threatened to have Ntuli killed.
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At the time of his arrest, Van der Merwe was travelling in a luxury BMW accompanied by six bodyguards in two vehicles, according to Netwerk24.
Western Cape police spokesman Captain Frederick Van Wyk confirmed that the arrest was done on a warrant from the Randburg Magistrates Court.
Ntuli laid a charge of intimidation at the Randburg Police Station on 25 January.
This was after he was dissatisfied with the assistance from the Middelburg police.
He said several vehicles pulled up outside his house on the night of the incident, making him fear for his life.
The company has accused Van der Merwe. In a letter dated 29 January, Liberty Coal's lawyers alleged that Van der Merwe engaged in "unlawful, intimidatory" conduct intended to disrupt the company's operations.
The claims are linked to protests by the Steve Tshwete Community.
They accused Liberty Coal, once owned by the Gupta family, of closing a stakeholder forum without telling them.
Gupta Connection Van der Merwe was the general manager at Gupta-linked mines, connecting him to the family at the heart of State Capture.
Liberty Coal is a South African coal producer and the current owner of the Optimum Colliery, which it acquired out of business rescue to take over assets previously owned by the Gupta family.
The case highlights the tension in Mpumalanga's mining sector, where communities clash with companies over job opportunities and financial benefits.
The matter was postponed to 21 May for the accused to be in court.
