The gun that was used to kill famous South African musician Oupa John Sefoka, also known by his stage name DJ Sumbody, is the same gun that was used in the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.
This was revealed on Tuesday by national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe when four men arrested in connection with the assassination of DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Fifth suspect arrested
Mathe also disclosed that a fifth suspect, a 23-year-old woman known as Nthabiseng Nzama, who is the daughter of one of the alleged hitmen, has been added to the attempted murder case of famous television actress and influencer Tebogo Thobejane. Nzama, who is facing a money laundering charge, also appeared in court on Tuesday. She remains in police custody.
DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards, Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza, were shot and killed by unknown men while travelling in their cars on November 20 2022 on the corner of Woodmead and Woodland drives in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Swart was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity at his workplace in Vereeniging on April 17 2024. At the time of his death, Swart was working at Q Tech Engineering Company based in Vereeniging. The bloodthirsty hitmen shot and killed Swart when they mistook him for another employee who is a whistleblower.
Thobejane and her friends Anele Malinga and Ncube Khumbulani were ambushed on the N1 highway near Sandton. Their car was sprayed with a hail of bullets on October 17 2023.
During court proceedings on Tuesday, three alleged hitmen, Michael Pule Tau, Musa Kekana, 35, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, 47, and alleged mastermind and businessman Katiso Molefe, 61, appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
They are facing charges of three counts 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.
No bail application brought forward
Tau, Kekana and Mabusela did not bring a formal bail application.
Molefe’s legal team said he intends to bring a bail application.
Magistrate Renier Boshoff postponed the matter to July 29 for Molefe to bring his bail application.
All four accused remain in police custody.
The four accused were arrested on Monday afternoon in Gauteng. This was following work by the South African Police Service (SAPS)’s political killings task team and the Gauteng organised crime detectives.
Mathe said after Swart’s murder in April last year, police seized four firearms — an AK47 and three pistols.
She said the firearms were positively linked to the murders of Swart, DJ Sumbody and his bodyguards. She said the firearms used in Thobejane’s attempted murder have not been found.
Firearms linked to 10 other cases
Mathe said the firearms were also linked to 10 other high-profile cases of murder and attempted murder, among others. However, she said she would not mention them at this stage.
Meanwhile, Tau, Kekana, Mabusela and Molefe are also suspects in connection with Swart’s murder case.
Moreover, Kekana and Mabusela are also suspects in the attempted murder of Thobejane, Malinga and Khumbulani.
Kekana, Mabusela, controversial tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, 49, and his wife Tsakani Matlala are suspects in the attempted murder case of Thobejane and her friends. Kekana, Mabusela and Matlala are in police custody. Tsakani is out on R20 000 bail.
