‘DJ Warras’ murdered in latest Gauteng shooting to target entertainment and private security sector

Yet another DJ has been murdered in Gauteng. This follows an assertion by the State in a recent court case linked to South Africa’s law enforcement scandal that a criminal network is targeting DJs in the province.

Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, was fatally shot in Commissioner Street, in Johannesburg’s CBD, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 16 December.

Stock was murdered less than a fortnight after another hit with ties to the law enforcement scandal, and to private security, was carried out in Gauteng.

‘Broken, shattered’

On Tuesday afternoon, Stock’s sister Nicole, speaking from the scene of his murder, told the SABC: “I’m still in shock; I haven’t processed it officially. I’ve just touched his body, it’s still warm.

“Ja, I don’t actually have words. I don’t know what to say. I’m broken, I’m shattered because we know he was a voice for many people around the country and even around the world.

“You know, he spoke out bravely about so many issues that not many people will speak about. It’s truly a tremendous loss not only to us as a family, but to a nation as well.”

WATCH | SABC News reporter Chriselda Lewis speaks to Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock’s sister, Nicole Stock, who says she is still shocked and shattered. She also pleads with the public to remove certain images and videos from social media. pic.twitter.com/LorjbdC7AA

— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 16, 2025

Nicole described her brother as “a good guy”.

Among those who expressed sadness at Stock’s murder was businessman Rob Hersov, who called Stock his “friend” and “brother”.

According to a 2014 interview with The Sowetan, Stock grew up in KwaZulu-Natal with his grandparents.

“It was proper rural. It has really grounded me as a person. My gran was like the chief over there. She had a borehole installed and taught the community how to cultivate vegetables and grow their herd. She went there when there was nothing, and soon a whole community rose up,” he was quoted as saying.

Stock went on to become a radio presenter with 5FM, one of many positions he held in the broadcast industry.

Private security and Brakpan killing

Daily Maverick has established, based on a company search, that Stock was involved in various businesses, including private security.

An article The Citizen ran on him earlier this year said: “In addition to his media career, Warras runs JT VIP: Elite Guarding & VIP Protection Services, a security company responsible for safeguarding high-profile events across South Africa.”

Aspects of the private security industry have courted controversy.

(In Cape Town, for example, police officers investigated rival groups who they alleged wanted to dominate the bouncer industry, which culminated in battles that spilt over to Johannesburg.)

Stock’s killing came 11 days after a private security company director, Marius van der Merwe, was fatally shot outside his home in Brakpan on the evening of 5 December.

Read more: Police identify three ‘persons of interest’ in killing of whistleblower Marius van der Merwe

At the time of his murder, Van der Merwe had been investigating illicit mining.

Both Stock and Van der Merwe have ties — Stock more tenuously than Van der Merwe — to two parallel hearings investigating the law enforcement scandal that is hinged on accusations that a drug cartel has infiltrated South Africa’s criminal justice system, politics and private security.

Stock often publicly commented on the proceedings, while last month Van der Merwe was a witness at one of the hearings, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

A former Ekurhuleni metro police officer, Van der Merwe had detailed to the commission his role in an alleged 2022 cover-up involving the torture and murder of a robbery suspect.

He said he had been tasked with the disposal of the body.

‘Crime network targeting DJs’

At the core of the law enforcement scandal are the accusations of drug cartel infiltration, which were first aired in July at a press conference held by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

The drug cartel was subsequently identified as the Big Five, and it was alleged its members included organised crime accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who was involved in private security and who counts police figures as acquaintances, and Katiso “KT” Molefe.

While they both currently face different criminal accusations, they have not been formally charged in relation to the Big Five allegations.

Evidence in the case against Molefe, who faces accusations of orchestrating several murders, allegedly connects rifles to killings in Gauteng.

This loops back to the pattern of DJs being targeted.

According to the state, Molefe was among suspects facing “multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder linked to an alleged organised crime network targeting DJs”.

In November 2022, Oupa John Sefoka, better known as DJ Sumbody, was killed in Gauteng.

The state’s case against Molefe and his co-accused is that “the same high-calibre rifles” used on Sefoka had been used in other murders.

These included one that happened months before Sefoka was killed, the March 2022 murder of Hector Buthelezi, also known as DJ Vintos.

Another murder allegedly connected to the same rifles was committed two years after that — in April 2024, Armand Swart, an engineer, was fatally shot in Vereeniging after the company he worked for unearthed corruption related to Transnet contracts.

Stolen cocaine

Daily Maverick reported that in October, Mkhwanazi testified about the DJ murders during Parliament’s hearings that are investigating the law enforcement scandal.

He did not name the DJs, but they are presumably Buthelezi (DJ Vintos) and Sefoka (DJ Sumbody).

Mkhwanazi alleged the killings were connected to drugs.

Read more: R200m cocaine theft from KZN Hawks office may tie police to global drug traffickers

In November 2021, a 541kg cocaine consignment, worth about R200-million, was stolen during a burglary at the Hawks offices in Port Shepstone in what was widely viewed as an inside job.

Mkhwanazi, testifying in Parliament in October, said it was believed the stolen drug consignment ended up in Johannesburg and that individuals stole from it instead of delivering it where it was ultimately meant to go.

He alleged that this sparked “a majority of the murders” that happened in Johannesburg, which presumably included the murders of the DJs.

The motive behind Stock's killing, though, was not clear on Tuesday in the hours after his murder. DM