Mapaballo Borotho
- Four suspects, including businessman Katiso Molefe, have been linked to the murders of DJ Sumbody, DJ Vintos, and engineer Armand Swart.
- The accused appeared in the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court and will return on 18 September for the centralisation of their cases.
- The four were arrested last week, subsequently leading to the resignation of Kenny Kunene.
South African police have made a major breakthrough in a string of high-profile killings, linking the alleged murderers of popular musician Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka to three additional murders, including that of Hector “DJ Vintos” Buthelezi.
The arrests come amid a wave of crackdowns on organised crime, following recent explosive remarks by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused politicians and senior police officials of interfering in crime investigations.
DJ Sumbody’s Murder
DJ Sumbody, his bodyguards Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza, were killed execution-style with an AK-47 in Woodmead, Johannesburg, in 2022, shortly after he had performed at News Café.
Four suspects have since been arrested in Gauteng, including notorious businessman Katiso Molefe, believed to be the alleged mastermind.
According to media reports, Sefoka was allegedly involved in a violent underworld feud linked to a multi-million-rand drug consignment that went missing from police custody in KwaZulu-Natal before resurfacing in Johannesburg.
He was reportedly drawn into the feud after being asked to facilitate a meeting between certain individuals and a Cape Town businessman.
Unbeknownst to him, the meeting was connected to the missing drug consignment. It is alleged that the businessman later tipped off the original owners, known as ‘The Big Five, ‘ leading to DJ Sumbody’s assassination because he “knew too much.”
DJ Vintos’s Death
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the same suspects have been linked to the murder of DJ Vintos.
He was shot outside a club in Orlando East, Soweto, in March 2022.
Mathe said key forensic evidence, including an AK-47 rifle, has tied the murders together.
The Killing of Engineer Armand Swart
The group has also been connected to the killing of Engineer Armand Swart, who was allegedly murdered in a case of mistaken identity.
Swart, an employee at Q Tech Engineering in Vereeniging, was gunned down on 17 April 2024 while seated in his vehicle outside his workplace.
Two suspects in a white Hyundai i20 opened fire, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds.
Suspects in Court
The four accused, Katiso Molefe, former police officer Michael Pule Tau, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, and Musa Kekana, appeared before the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Police have urged the public not to speculate on the motives behind the murders, stressing that the investigation is still ongoing.
Our teams are on the right track, and we are confident that those arrested are the correct suspects. There is overwhelming evidence linking them to these murders.
The suspects face charges of murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. The case has been postponed to 18 September for the centralisation of the linked cases.
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