Court hears bail arguments for murder-accused Molefe
State warns that murder-accused businessman KT Molefe’s release could endanger witnesses and compromise evidence, defence says he’s no threat and is committed to stand trial.
The Alexandra Magistrates’ Court heard bail arguments in the case of Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe, who stands accused of orchestrating multiple murders, including those of Armand Swart, Oupa ‘DJ Sumbody’ Sefoka, and Hector ‘DJ Vintos’ Buthelezi.
Read more: Murder-accused Katiso Molefe to appear in court for bail application
The victims were killed in what police allege were premeditated hits. DJ Vintos was fatally shot in Orlando East in March 2022. DJ Sumbody and his bodyguards were gunned down in Woodmead in November 2022. Swart was killed outside his workplace in Vereeniging in April 2024.
Molefe and three alleged gunmen, Michael Pule Tau, Musa Kekana, and Tiego Floyd Mabusela, face charges in connection with the killings. While the alleged hitmen have not applied for bail, Molefe appeared in court seeking release on August 6.
The State opposed bail, citing Molefe’s flight risk, likelihood to tamper with evidence, witness safety, and potential to incite public unrest. Reading from the investigating officer’s affidavit, the state prosecutor Khetokwakhe Ngubane referenced Molefe’s 115 international trips in 2004 and his attempt to retrieve his passport after securing R100 000 bail in the Swart case.
“After he succeeded with his bail appeal [in Swart’s murder case], he contacted me through his lawyer requesting his passport to be handed back to him. I refused. I consider him to be a flight risk, especially now with further charges against him,” Ngubane read.
Ngubane described Molefe as a dangerous individual with no regard for human life. The officer’s affidavit raised concerns about the safety of the witnesses should he be released, noting that some are in hiding and investigators are under 24-hour protection. It also raised concerns about possible evidence tampering, citing a 2024 incident in which Molefe suddenly changed his long-held cellphone number a day after key evidence surfaced in the Swart case.
Defence advocate Michael Hellens presented Molefe’s affidavit, in which Molefe affirmed his commitment to stand trial and clear his name. He also denied any intent to flee or interfere with the case. “I’ve been out on bail for approximately a month. There is and there will be no evidence that at any stage did I interfere with any investigation, witness, or evidence,” the affidavit read.
Molefe also stated in the affidavit that he posed no danger and had no access to evidentiary material. He further challenged the State’s claims of public unrest, noting that his prior release did not spark disorder.
The defence requested a postponement, noting that they needed to prepare an affidavit to respond to new information in the investigating officer’s affidavit that was not contained in the J50 form.
The State did not oppose it, and Magistrate Rennie Boshoff denied bail and remanded the matter to August 15.
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