The EFF has accused ActionSA of using the death of media personality Warrick ‘DJ Warras’ Stock to advance a political campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The accusation was made by EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, who criticised what he described as a coordinated media push linked to ActionSA’s ambitions to return party leader Herman Mashaba to the mayoral office in Johannesburg.
“Action SA and Herman Mashaba have for the past 24 hours been actively launching their Johannesburg mayoral campaign using the death of DJ Warras,” Thambo said.
He said it was unacceptable for any political party to use a murder to score political points or gain public sympathy.
DJ Warras was killed while attending an operation linked to efforts to reclaim a hijacked building in Johannesburg.
His death has sparked widespread outrage and renewed debate about crime, law enforcement, and the control of illegal buildings in the city.
Using death to score political points
ActionSA has been vocal recently about crime in Johannesburg, especially hijacked buildings, with Mashaba positioning himself as a leader that had once made a difference on the hijacked building situation in Johannesburg.
This has fueled speculation about Mashaba contesting for a possible return as mayor ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Mashaba had said the murder of DJ Warras had personally affected him and pushed him to reconsider his current role outside of city government.
Similar actions by the EFF, according to Thambo, would have provoked a strong public backlash, implying a double standard in the treatment of political parties.
“If the EFF did anything of that nature, I wonder what the reaction would have been,” he said, calling on authorities to focus on justice rather than politics and urging law enforcement and city officials to fully investigate the killing.
Thambo said the focus should remain on accountability, justice for DJ Warras, and addressing the causes of violent crime in Johannesburg, rather than using tragedy as a springboard for political ambition.
