In the risky and often dangerous streets of South Africa, a chilling tale about a popular DJ who narrowly escaped death only to face it head-on later is unfolding. DJ Sumbody, whose real name was Oupa John Sefoka, had every reason to believe someone was determined to end his life. After surviving what he saw as the first clear try to take him out, he turned to a controversial and murder-accused businessman, Vusimusi Cat Matlala, for help with protection. This move set off a chain of events that would pull in corrupt figures, including a judge now facing serious questions over his decisions. At the center of it all stands Katiso Molefe, accused of plotting these deadly acts, and Gauteng Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba, whose choice to grant bail in one case has sparked outrage and claims of wrongdoing.
It all began on a Sunday night in June 2021, when DJ Sumbody had just finished his set at the trendy Biblos Cafe in Katlehong. The place was under renovations at the time, adding an air of unfinished business to the evening. He wrapped up his amapiano tracks around 11pm, and his driver slipped out quietly to start up their white BMW 320i. They were heading to Secunda in Mpumalanga for another big event, the annual gathering hosted by amapiano star Kabza the Small, whose real name is Kabelo Motha. As they drove through the township streets toward the main roads, a white VW Passat appeared behind them, matching their speed and mirroring every turn. It felt off, like they were being followed with purpose.
Sensing trouble, the driver pushed the accelerator hard to pull away. But the Passat sped up too, staying right on their tail. Both cars blew through a red traffic light, turning what might have been just a worry into a real chase. At the next red light before the N17 highway, DJ Sumbody's car zipped across, but a massive coal truck with the green light blocked the path. The Passat could not follow, giving them a narrow escape. In that tense moment, DJ Sumbody gripped a gun, prepared to fight back if needed. This close call happened just months before another amapiano figure, DJ Maphorisa, whose real name is Themba Sekowe, faced gunfire after leaving the same Biblos Cafe, leaving two people badly hurt in his luxury car.
Shaken by the Katlehong incident, DJ Sumbody knew he had to change things. He added more security to his routine and began sneaking out the back doors of his nightclubs, Ayepyep in Menlyn and Top Notch in Pretoria's central business district, without letting anyone know. He met with Cat Matlala, the owner of Cat VIP Protection, at Tashas in Menlyn to ask for help finding reliable protection. Matlala recommended Sibusiso Mokoena, someone who knew the nightlife scene well and was no longer working for him. Mokoena joined as a bodyguard, along with Sandile Myeza, forming a small team around the DJ. The family later explained that at first, they thought the chase was just an attempted hijacking, and DJ Sumbody relied on venue security for shows, with his entourage handling management and driving.
But these steps were not enough. On 20 November 2022, DJ Sumbody performed at the Woodmead News Cafe in Sandton, JOHANNESBURG. Just after, as he left with Mokoena and Myeza, attackers opened fire at the corner of Woodmead and Woodland drives. Bullets tore through their vehicles—a VW Golf GTI for DJ Sumbody and Mokoena, and a BMW X5 for Myeza. DJ Sumbody was hit 48 times and died right there. Mokoena also died on the spot, while Myeza made it to the hospital but passed away days later. This was no random act; it tied back to disputes over hidden drug dealings, pulling in a web of suspects.
A month before this, on 20 October 2022, another shooting raised alarms. A driver in a blue VW Golf GTI, much like the one DJ Sumbody owned, was killed while entering Ayepyep Lifestyle in Sunnyside, Pretoria. The man, Aaron Matlala, seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, fueling thoughts that the real target was DJ Sumbody himself. He was deeply affected by this, seeing it as another sign of the danger closing in.
The investigation pointed to Katiso Molefe as the alleged planner behind DJ Sumbody's death. Molefe, a 61-year-old controversial businessman with underworld ties, faces charges with three others: Michael Pule Tau, who is a former police officer who worked as a police detective during these murder incidents; Musa Kekana; and Tiego Floyd Mabusela. Surprisingly, these three accused hitmen have also been arrested alongside Cat Matlala, suggesting that Katiso Molefe and Cat Matlala were sharing contract killers despite Dj Sumbody having previously approached Matlala for protection.
Pule Tau, Kekana and Mabusela are accused of three murders for the Woodmead incident, plus unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The group also faces charges for the killing of Hector Buthelezi, known as DJ Vintos, who was shot 27 times outside a Soweto nightclub in Orlando East on a night in March 2022. His body was found next to his car, riddled with bullets from attackers in a BMW X3. As if that was not enough, police have revealed that investigations so far have revealed that these contract killers are behind the deaths and attempted murders of at least 10 high-profile individuals.
These deaths connect to a larger pattern. DJ Vintos died eight months before DJ Sumbody, and both cases link to underground drug activities. Court hearings revealed that Molefe received large cash deposits into his bank accounts with no clear sources, suggesting hidden income streams. Hours after the killings in March and November 2022, the alleged hitmen also saw big cash inflows, pointing to payments for their roles. Molefe's past adds layers to this: in 2004, a UK court convicted him of possessing cannabis under the alias David Tebogo Lebitsa, using a Lesotho passport. He served time and was banned from the UK for 20 years, a ban that ended in 2024.
The story widens to include more victims. In March 2023, Don Tindleni was killed on the N1 highway. Then, in April 2024, engineer Armand Swart met a similar fate in Vereeniging. He was sitting in his silver double-cab bakkie, waiting for the gate at Q-Tech, his workplace, to open. A car pulled up and fired 23 times, killing him instantly. Ballistics showed the AK-47 used was the same one in DJ Sumbody's murder, linking the cases to a possible criminal network.
Swart's death stemmed from a mix-up. His company uncovered a scam in a government tender for railway parts. They made small springs sold for R3.20 each, but someone inflated the price to R152 when reselling to Transnet Freight Rail. A batch of 8,000 springs should have cost R25,000 but ballooned to over R1.2 million — a markup of more than 4,650 percent. A manager who reported this became the intended target, but the killers mistook Swart for him, perhaps confusing his silver vehicle with a similar white one.
The impact on Swart's family runs deep. His wife, Valencia, now 29, shares a home filled with photos from better days—wedding shots, pregnancy moments, family laughs. But the house feels empty now, with their two sons missing their father. The older boy understands more, but the younger one still asks when dad will come home. That morning in April 2024 started normally: Armand, cheerful as always, helped get the kids ready, dropped them at school, and headed to work. By the time family arrived at the scene, it was cordoned off, and he was gone.
Valencia struggles alone, handling all roles—parent, provider—while unemployed. Support from her parents, Christelle and Sakkie Klopper, and relatives like aunt Hattie and uncle Miguel dos Santos helps, but the pain lingers. Simple tasks like changing a light bulb or mowing the lawn remind them of Armand. The braai area sits untouched, just as he left it. The boys attend grief counseling at church, but the younger one reacts strongly to stories mentioning fathers, saying he hates them because he lacks one. Media attention makes outings uncomfortable, with people staring, assuming she knows secrets she does not. Learning it was mistaken identity brought mixed feelings—anger at the senseless loss, slight relief it was not targeted at him specifically, but ongoing fear of being watched.
Arrests in July 2025 brought some hope. Molefe, Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela were taken in by police crack team – the political killings task team led by KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who is the team's national convener. Another man, , remains wanted. Reports claim that he is Katiso Molefe's son and is hiding in Mozambique following the brutal murder of Swart. Mkhwanazi made bold claims about crime groups infiltrating high levels of government, even alleging ties between Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Cat Matlala, who faces his own charges for plotting against an ex-lover, influencer Tebogo Thobejane. Mchunu, now on special leave, called the claims unfounded, but a judicial probe continues.
Molefe's bail fights highlight deeper issues. In a separate case for Swart's murder, the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court denied him bail, but he appealed to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. There, Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba granted it in July 2024 based on what he claimed were new facts. This decision drew complaints from investigators, who have since written to the Director of Public Prosecutions, urging an appeal. They argue Molefe poses risks, as witnesses fear him and might hide if he is free. In one text from 15 July 2024, Molefe told his wife that bail would soon be granted in the Swart's murder case, showing his influence and, interestingly, Judge Ledwaba then granted him a R100,000 bail.
Ledwaba's history adds scrutiny. In 2019, he sealed documents related to CR17 campaign donations after a Public Protector report found President Cyril Ramaphosa had misled Parliament about a R500,000 donation. In 2020, the Economic Freedom Fighters pushed to unseal them, arguing it hid corruption. During a 2021 Judicial Service Commission interview for a Supreme Court of Appeal spot, Ledwaba faced tough questions. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, who was Supreme Court of Appeal president at the time, asked if he was corrupt, as some labeled him. In the end, Ledwaba did not get the job. Now, with Molefe's cases, questions arise if Ledwaba might rule favorably again, amid claims that drug networks and shady businessmen have swayed parts of the judiciary in Gauteng.
Meanwhile, prosecutors oppose Molefe's bail in the DJ Sumbody case, citing his danger and past interference. On Wednesday last week, Molefe appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court in a leather jacket with a fur hood, sitting calmly as his lawyer, Advocate Michael Hellens, argued. The hearing postponed to Thursday, then to 15 August 2025, for more submissions. Investigators worry Molefe disregards life and could tamper with the process, as he once promised bail for co-accused in another murder.
The Sefoka family welcomes the arrests and trusts the police and National Prosecuting Authority to build a strong case. They recall DJ Sumbody's small team was not formal bodyguards, but the venues' security sufficed until it did not. Broader corruption in tenders and whistleblower killings ties into this, as researcher David Bruce notes, with procurement scams fueling such acts for decades.
This network exposes how music stars, engineers, and ordinary lives intersect with hidden trades and power plays. DJ Sumbody's escape in 2021, his plea to Matlala, and the fatal ambush reveal a determined pursuit. Molefe's alleged role, backed by cash trails and linked weapons, paints him as a key figure. Ledwaba's bail grant stirs debates on judicial trust, especially with his past controversies.
As this story of survival, loss, and systemic flaws unfolds, it raises pressing questions about safety and justice in South Africa. What do you think should happen to judges like Ledwaba who make decisions that allow deadly and feared people like Molefe to walk free?
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