JOHANNESBURG – The killing of popular South African amapiano artist DJ Sumbody has become a key piece in what investigators are calling a sprawling network of politically connected crime, as new arrests shed light on a web of state capture, assassinations, and cover-ups linked to tender fraud.
DJ Sumbody, real name Oupa Sefoka, was shot dead in November 2022 while driving home. This week, police arrested a former Johannesburg police officer and businessman Katiso Molefe in connection with the hit. Two more suspects, already in custody for the 2023 attempted murder of TV personality Tebogo Thobejane, are also being linked to the case.
During a raid on Molefe’s residence, police discovered Johannesburg politician Kenny Kunene, a member of the city council. Though not formally implicated, Kunene has since been suspended by Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie. Kunene claimed he was at the house to assist a journalist looking for an interview with Molefe.
Authorities believe the murders of DJ Sumbody, engineer Armand Swart and Thobejane are all connected. Swart, who was gunned down in April 2024, had flagged a tender involving a price inflation of over 4,500 percent. Thobejane, known for her role in Muvhango, survived an assassination attempt linked to her ex-partner Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.
Matlala, a businessman and head of a private security firm, was arrested earlier this year and is at the centre of several investigations. He had been awarded a R370 million contract by the national police, even as he faced allegations in a separate R2.3 billion embezzlement scandal at Tembisa Hospital. That case cost the life of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, who was killed outside her home in 2021.
Police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said four weapons, including the AK-47 used in DJ Sumbody’s killing, have been tied to at least 10 other high-profile attacks. Investigations have been hampered, however, by allegations of interference from top officials.
KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial police commissioner, Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, recently accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and fellow officers of stalling cases involving Matlala. Speaking at a televised press briefing last month, Mkhwanazi claimed Mchunu had received bribes and that prosecutors were intentionally delaying justice.
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded by suspending Mchunu and ordering a judicial inquiry. But the state’s response has been described as slow and cosmetic, even as the country records over 75 murders daily.
According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, contract killings in South Africa have increased by 108 percent over the last ten years. Hiring a hitman can cost as little as E2,700, reinforcing a culture where silence is often enforced with bullets instead of legal process.
Security analyst Chad Thomas of IRS Forensic said the crisis reflects a broader problem: “It’s easier to silence someone with a bullet than contend with an investigation.”
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