In the world of South African entertainment, few names carry as much weight as Sbu “DJ Sbu” Leope. Known for his relentless "hustle" and his success as an entrepreneur, he has long been a role-model for young South Africans looking to build something from nothing. However, a bombshell dropped at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry this week has threatened to rewrite that story. Claims have surfaced that DJ Sbu, along with former ANC Gauteng secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza, may have unduly benefited from more than R100 million in municipal grants from the City of Ekurhuleni.
The allegations were brought forward by advocate Kemi Behari, the suspended head of Legal and Risk Services for the City of Ekurhuleni. In a testimony that has sent a jolt through both the political and business worlds, Behari claimed that internal investigations pointed directly to Leope and Nciza as key beneficiaries of the city’s controversial "Grants-in-Aid" programme.
This is not just a small administrative error; we are talking about a staggering amount of public money that was supposedly meant for community development but may have ended up in the pockets of the well-connected.
Behari told the commission that the evidence was so compelling that he felt he had no choice but to escalate it.
“I said to my HOD at the time, the only people we can call now is TK Nciza and Sbu Leope, because they’re the ones who the evidence is pointing to as having benefited from this entire thing,” Behari testified.
This statement places the two men at the very heart of an inquiry that is probing deep-seated governance failures, political interference, and the blatant abuse of public funds within a municipality that is already struggling to provide basic services to its residents.
DJ Sbu was swift to respond, releasing an emphatic statement to clear his name. He has dismissed the allegations as “false, misleading and unsubstantiated,” and has accused Behari of using his name to deflect attention from his own legal and professional challenges.
“I categorically deny any involvement in wrongdoing, misconduct, or unethical activity of any kind,” Leope said. “Any suggestion to the contrary is a fabrication.” He maintains that his success is the result of hard work in broadcasting and entrepreneurship, conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency.
To understand the scale of this mystery, we need to simplify what "Grants-in-Aid" actually are. These are funds set aside by a municipality to support non-profit organisations and small businesses that are providing essential services to the community. In theory, it is a noble system.
In practice, however, our investigative report finds that it can easily become a "slush fund" for political looting. We are looking into whether the "hustle" Sbu is so famous for was actually being subsidised by the taxpayers of Ekurhuleni. If R100 million was indeed diverted, it would mean that while certain celebrities were thriving, the taps in Ekurhuleni were running dry and the streets were going unpaved.
The Madlanga Commission is tasked with finding out if these grants were used as a "celebrity front" for political interests. TK Nciza’s involvement adds a heavy political layer to the story, suggesting a "cadre deployment" of funds to those loyal to certain factions of the ANC.
Sbu has rejected any suggestion of collusion with officials, stating, “I have not benefited from any improper conduct. I have not influenced any legal or administrative processes unlawfully.” He has even threatened legal action against what he describes as defamatory claims, positioning himself as a victim of reputational harm.
However, the commission is interested in the paper trail. Where did that R100 million go? Our investigation aims to simplify the complex financial web that Behari has hinted at. We are looking for the hidden details: the shell companies, the "community projects" that never happened, and the signatures on the grant applications.
Sbu has urged the public and the media to exercise caution, warning of the damage caused by "untested accusations," but in the world of investigative journalism, these are the very questions that must be asked.
As the Madlanga Commission continues its work, the reputation of one of South Africa’s most beloved media personalities hangs in the balance. Is DJ Sbu a self-made hero of the hustle, or was he a secret beneficiary of a system that rewards the famous at the expense of the poor?
We will continue to follow the evidence as Behari returns to the stand. For now, the R100 million mystery remains unsolved, but the smoke rising from Ekurhuleni suggests that the fire of corruption may be burning much closer to the stars than we ever imagined.
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