The family of former sportscaster and music-rights activist Owen Ndlovu is struggling to understand why he was allegedly taken at gunpoint outside a church, driven away in his own vehicle and later found dead beside a road in Tokoza.
Ndlovu was allegedly abducted on Tuesday evening while waiting for his wife outside St John’s Church in Katlehong. His Ford Raptor was later found abandoned in Walkerville, Midvaal, and his body was discovered the following morning.
Police have opened a murder investigation, but several people close to Ndlovu are questioning whether the killing was a random hijacking or a targeted attack. No suspect has been arrested, and police have not confirmed a motive or linked the murder to any particular dispute.
Ndlovu’s wife, Portia, said the couple had arrived at the church at about 20:00. They were loading bags into their 4×4 vehicle when three men emerged from the darkness.
She said the attackers demanded the vehicle and that Ndlovu handed over the keys. However, she alleges that the men then insisted on taking him as well.
“I told him to give them the car and he handed them the keys. But they said they wanted to take him too.”
Portia said Ndlovu fought back while she screamed for help. The men allegedly forced him into the back seat and pushed her away before driving off with him inside the vehicle.
“They forcefully put him in the back seat and pushed me away. People from church came out after he was taken.”
She said she tried to chase the vehicle but could not stop it. In the confusion that followed, she made frantic calls to relatives, friends and her children while waiting for news about her husband.
“I was confused and angry. I started to run after the car but it disappeared with my husband. I made frantic calls to many people and my children while crying outside the church.”
The Ford Raptor was later recovered in Walkerville. It was reportedly found after the attackers had attempted to strip it. Ndlovu’s body was discovered in a street in Tokoza on Wednesday morning.
A statement from the family said Ndlovu had been shot. His bag was found a few metres from where his body was discovered. Eugene Mthethwa, a close friend of Ndlovu and the chairperson of Artists United, said residents showed him the place where Ndlovu died and where a sealed bag had been found behind an electricity box.
Mthethwa said the bag contained documents linked to the South African Music Rights Organisation, commonly known as Samro. Ndlovu’s company, ORM, had been a service provider to Samro until its contract was terminated in March last year.
The discovery of the documents has raised questions among people who knew about Ndlovu’s long-running conflict with the organisation. However, the presence of Samro-related material does not prove that the dispute was connected to the murder.
Mthethwa said:
“When we went to the crime scene, we were shown where he died and where they picked up a bag. What is questionable, logically, is if people are hijacking you and are able to get out of the car and run, they wouldn’t follow you.”
He added:
“And why would you put your life at risk to get out with the bag? What is it that they were asking him to do that he became aware that he needed to jump out with the bag? There were documents about Samro (South African Music Rights Organisation) in that bag.”
Ndlovu had been involved in a legal dispute with Samro chief executive Annabell Lebethe. Lebethe had previously obtained an interim protection order against him, alleging harassment, an incident involving a firearm and comments made during a podcast interview. The Johannesburg magistrate’s court discharged the protection order on 17 July this year.
Ndlovu had disputed the allegations. He had also launched harassment proceedings against Lebethe, and she had been summoned to appear at the Booysens Magistrate’s Court. The matter was due to return to court on Thursday, one day after Ndlovu’s body was found. Lebethe was not present, and her lawyer told the court that reports had emerged about Ndlovu’s death. The matter was postponed until 2 October.
The wider conflict between Ndlovu’s Artists United and Samro involved disputes about governance, allegations of corruption, commercial lease issues and litigation. Ndlovu had also publicly campaigned for artists to receive royalties that he believed were owed to them.
Mthethwa previously chained himself to a pole inside Samro’s Braamfontein offices while demanding payment of royalties. He later worked alongside Ndlovu to assist artists seeking information about their money.
Ndlovu was also among Samro members who disrupted a press briefing at a Milpark hotel last September. The briefing concerned a 2023 investigation into Samro’s financial years from 2020 to 2022. That investigation uncovered alleged fraudulent claims involving undocumented works valued at R62 million and linked to prominent members.
Musician Nomsa Mazwai said she had questions about Ndlovu’s death, but stressed that she was not claiming he was blameless or accusing a specific person. She said Ndlovu had spoken to her about ideas to help artists match undocumented works with their creators.
“I know Owen had a lot of enemies but I don’t know why they were his enemies. I’m not saying he was perfect. All I’m saying is that in every engagement I had with Owen, he was not telling me about how we must steal money. He was saying I’ve got an idea to make sure that undocumented works get matched [with their creators].”
Music and talent consultant Vusi Leeuw, who was a long-time friend of Ndlovu, urged people not to speculate before the police had completed their work.
“For now, until the police do their job, we can’t just assume who is behind this. We want the police to look at this thing from a wide perspective. Nobody knows who’s behind it.”
Tebogo Sithathu, a former member of the R&B group Twins and president of Intellectual Property Justice, said he had also been involved in disputes with Samro but would not blame the organisation for Ndlovu’s murder.
“I believe that he might have been involved with other evil people out there. This has all the hallmarks of a hit but I might be wrong. I don’t think there’s anyone that brutal in our industry who could do such a thing.”
Samro condemned violence and said the authorities should investigate the death fully. The organisation acknowledged its disputes and legal proceedings with Ndlovu but declined to comment further out of respect for his family.
“Samro condemns violence and criminality in all its forms. We trust that the SAPS and the relevant authorities will fully investigate the circumstances of Mr Ndlovu’s death and that those responsible will be brought to justice.
“It is a matter of public record that Samro and Mr Ndlovu were involved in disputes and legal proceedings. Out of respect for Mr Ndlovu’s family, Samro will not comment on those matters at this time.”
Lebethe did not respond to direct questions, although the company confirmed that her e-mails had been received.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the Germiston Trio Unit was investigating the murder.
“Investigations are under way and I am not at liberty to divulge details thereof.”
Portia said documents from the vehicle had been scattered during the struggle and that Ndlovu’s cellphone, which contained important information, was taken. She said the events left her wondering whether her husband had been watched before the attack.
“I suspect that my husband was being monitored, for what I don’t know. Owen used to drive around with me and the kids and all was well.
“But the day they took him, I was there and I don’t know how I survived this.”
Ndlovu’s son, Thulani, said police from Mondeor came to the family and that he helped activate the vehicle-tracking system. He remembered his father as a loving parent and said the family did not deserve the way he was killed.
“I feel sad that my dad was murdered in such a cruel manner. He didn’t deserve to be killed. He was a good father to us and a good husband to our mother.”
Ndlovu’s memorial service will be held on Wednesday, followed by his funeral service on Friday. As his family prepares to bury him, police still have to establish who abducted him, why he was killed and whether the documents found near his body are relevant to the case.
Until those questions are answered in court, speculation cannot replace evidence. For the Ndlovu family, the priority is justice, a clear explanation of what happened and accountability for the people who took a husband and father away from them.
