The four men accused of the murder of famous South African musician Oupa John Sefoka, also known as DJ Sumbody, and Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart have been formally charged with the murders of Hector Buthelezi, also known as DJ Vintos, and Don Tindleni.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the national police spokesperson, revealed this information on Tuesday outside the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Mathe spoke after the court appearance of three alleged hitmen — Michael Pule Tau (55), Musa Kekana (35), and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47) — and the alleged mastermind, businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe (61), regarding the murders of DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards, Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza.
Mathe announced that the police have charged Tau, Kekana, Mabusela, and Molefe with the murder of DJ Vintos. She stated that the police have only charged Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela with the murder of Tindleni.
Police looking for the mastermind
Mathe stated that the police were still looking for the mastermind behind the murder of Tindleni.
She said the firearms used to kill DJ Sumbody, Mokoena, Myeza, and Swart were the same ones that killed DJ Vintos and Tindleni.
She said DJ Vintos was shot and killed in a hail of bullets in March 2022 outside a nightclub in Orlando East, Soweto.
The unknown men who killed DJ Vintos were driving in a BMW X3 at the time of the murder, she said.
Mathe said Tindleni was shot and killed in a hail of bullets in March 2023 on the N1 near the M17 off-ramp while he was in his BMW 5 Series.
Swart was shot and killed outside his workplace in Vereeniging on April 17, 2024. Swart worked at Q Tech Engineering Company based in Vereeniging.
He was shot and killed when the alleged hitmen mistook him for another employee who is a whistleblower.
Tau, Kekana, Mabusela, and Molefe have been charged with the murder of Swart.
Shot and killed in Sandton
On Tuesday, Tau, Kekana, Mabusela, and Molefe appeared in court in connection with the DJ Sumbody, Mokoena, and Myeza cases.
The four men are facing three charges of murder, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition in connection with the murders of DJ Sumbody, Mokoena, and Myeza in November 2022.
DJ Sumbody, Mokoena, and Myeza were shot and killed by unknown men while travelling in their cars on November 20, 2022, at the corner of Woodmead and Woodland Drives in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The court postponed the matter for Molefe’s bail application.
The state prosecutor informed Magistrate Renier Boshoff that Molefe’s bail application will be heard next week.
The state prosecutor also said on September 18 there will be a centralisation of cases to ensure that the murder cases of DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards, DJ Vintos, Tindleni, and Swart, are one case in one court.
Tau, Kekana and Mabusela did not bring a formal bail application.
Boshoff postponed the matter to August 6 for Molefe to present his bail application and September 18 for the centralisation of the four cases.
All four accused remain in police custody.
Mathe said that after Swart’s murder in April 2024, police arrested Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela. She said police seized four firearms from the three accused during their arrests — an AK47 and three pistols.
Firearms linked to 10 murder cases
Police positively linked the four firearms to the murders of Swart, DJ Sumbody and his bodyguards, DJ Vintos, and Tindleni.
Police have linked the firearms to 10 high-profile cases of murder and attempted murder, among other crimes.
Four of the 10 cases are of DJ Sumbody and his bodyguards, Swart, DJ Vintos and Tindleni.
Meanwhile, Kekana and Mabusela have been charged with the attempted murders of famous television actress and influencer Tebogo Thobejane and her two friends Anele Malinga and Ncube Khumbulani.
Thobejane, Malinga and Khumbulani were ambushed on the N1 highway near Sandton, and their car was sprayed with a hail of bullets on October 17, 2023.
Mathe said the firearms used in Thobejane’s attempted murder have not been found.
Kekana, Mabusela, controversial tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala (49), and his wife Tsakani Matlala (36) are the accused in the attempted murder case of Thobejane and her friends.
Kekana, Mabusela and Matlala are in police custody, while Tsakani is out on R20 000 bail.
Fifth suspect added to the case
Nthabiseng Nzama (23) was added as a fifth suspect to the attempted murder case of Thobejane.
Nzama, who is facing a charge of money laundering, is the daughter of one of the hitmen arrested in the Thobejane attempted murder case.
Nzama will join Kekana, Mabusela, Matlala and Tsakani on August 26, when all five accused appear at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Nzama is out on R10 000 bail.
