Two more murder cases linked to suspects in DJ Sumbody killing

Two additional murder cases have been linked to controversial businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe and the three men charged alongside him in the killing of South African artist Oupa John Sefoka, widely known as DJ Sumbody.

Molefe, along with former police detective Michael Pule Tau, Musa Kekana, and Tiego Floyd Mabusela, made a second appearance at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The four men face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of illegal ammunition.

ALSO READ: DJ Sumbody’s family welcomes the arrests of suspects and thanks police

Molefe is believed to have ordered the hit on Sefoka, while his three co-accused allegedly carried it out.

Sefoka was killed in a drive-by shooting in Woodmead, Gauteng, in November 2022. His two bodyguards, Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza, were also shot and killed at the scene.

The four accused are also suspects in the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart, who was gunned down outside his workplace in April 2024.

Swart was shot 23 times. That case is currently before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

More charges added as DJ Sumbody murder case postponed

On Tuesday, it was revealed that the accused now face charges in connection with two more murder cases.

The first involves the killing of Hector Buthelezi, known as DJ Vintos.

The second case concerns the murder of Don Tindleni, who was killed on the N1 highway in Johannesburg in March 2023.

Speaking outside court, national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe provided further details on the new charges, revealing that Buthelezi was gunned down outside a nightclub in Orlando East, Soweto, in March 2022.

“He was killed in a hail of bullets. At the time, the suspects were driving a BMW X3. His killers were never found,” she said.

READ MORE: DJ Sumbody’s murder exposes connection between crime and power

Mathe told the media that the four firearms – three pistols and one AK-47 – seized when Kekana, Tau and Mabusela were arrested on the same day Swart was killed, have now been linked to the murders of Buthelezi and Tindleni.

“We don’t only have the ballistics expert report that is linking these suspects to these particular hits. There’s other overwhelming evidence that suggests that they are involved in the murders of these victims.”

However, Mathe clarified that Molefe has not been charged in the Tindleni case.

“We are only adding the three hitmen. We are still investigating who the mastermind behind the Don Tindeni murder is, and we are hoping that in no time that information will come to light.”

Mathe also confirmed that Molefe’s bail application has been postponed to 6 August. His co-accused have opted not to seek bail.

She added that the police continue to investigate other high-profile cases, some of which have also been linked through ballistic tests.

One trial?

In response to how these cases will be managed, Mathe said the state is working to consolidate them into a single trial.

“We are told that they are going to be centralised so Armand Swart’s case, DJ Vintos, Don Tindleni, DJ Sumbody and his two bodyguards, those cases will be heard in one court.

“It’s the same charges in all these cases.”

Mathe further addressed the attempted murder case involving actress and influencer Tebogo Thobejane, where Mabusela and Kekana are suspects.

“Only two hitmen are linked to that particular case, but in terms of the firearm that was used, we are still looking for it.

“The AK-47 and the three pistols are linked to the four other cases but not yet the Tebogo Thobejane case.”

She concluded that the motive behind the murders will not yet be made public.

“The motive, for now that’s still going to come out in court, so we’re not going to rush to speculate. Our investigators are still hard at work in piecing together some information, obviously closing the loopholes and the gaps.”

NOW READ: Firearms used in DJ Sumbody’s murder linked to 10 other high-profile cases