Tembisa School Murders: Pastor and DJ Among the Accused
Tembisa – A pastor and DJ, identified as Tuki Benjamin “DJ Stunkie” Maditsi, 35, stands accused of the murders of *++++++++++———————————————–Nozibele Thapu, 58, and admin clerk Nobantu Njomboni, 55. The shocking allegations have emerged just hours after Maditsi buried his brother, leaving his family and community reeling.
Maditsi was apprehended on Thursday night after 10pm, a mere few hours after he had been providing the music at his late brother’s after-tears ceremony. His arrest followed the detention of his cousin, Mokgadi Hope Shongwe, a financial clerk at Inxiweni Primary, the previous day. Both cousins now face charges related to the tragic shootings that occurred at the school last Tuesday.
Bongani Nkosi, the uncle of the accused, expressed his disbelief and dismay. He recounted being with Maditsi earlier on the evening of the arrest at the after-tears gathering. "The next morning as I came out of my house, I was asked questions about whether I knew about Tuki’s involvement in the crime," Nkosi stated. "I did not believe it then, and I still don’t believe it now that these two did it. With Tuki, it’s worse because we spend a significant amount of time together."
Nkosi further emphasised Maditsi's character: "I even attend his Apostolic church, where he is a pastor, and I go to the establishment where he DJs. Tuki loves people. Even in his upbringing, he has always been a sweet, God-fearing boy who loves music." He conveyed his intention to speak with his nephew, visiting the court on Monday.
Turning to Shongwe, Nkosi voiced equal astonishment: "As for Mokgadi, she is a child, at least that’s how I see her. How she would be involved in such corruption is shocking. They both have decent jobs, so why would they do this? Since the news broke, people are pointing at me in public, confirming to each other that I am their uncle," he lamented.
Vusimuzi Vilakazi, a member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) at eMangweni Section in Tembisa, echoed the sentiment of disbelief. He had also been present at the funeral and after-tears event. "It came as a shock to us because we were at his brother’s funeral. But on Friday morning, social media posts suggested he was a suspect in the Inxiweni murders," Vilakazi explained.
Staff members at the establishment where Maditsi worked as a resident soul DJ have also expressed their shock at the allegations. Simon Kunene, the right-hand man to the container’s owner, described Maditsi as "always been full of ideas and a cornerstone in the establishment as a resident DJ."
Kunene added, "He also assisted in other capacities. We have known him as someone kind and adored by many people who come here. These reports have hurt the business as it has been associated with the crime, yet we are also shocked and are waiting for the truth."
However, Kunene revealed previous troubling incidents involving Maditsi. He detailed a burglary at the establishment where sound equipment was stolen, stating, "Upon investigation, we learned Tuki was the mastermind behind it."
Kunene also disclosed issues concerning a stokvel (informal savings scheme). "As of February this year, we had a stokvel we were running with others, including him. We would give him money ranging from R500 to R1,500 to deposit every week. In August, through our treasurer, we discovered he had not been depositing the money as given to him."
The discrepancies amounted to a significant sum. "If it were R500, he would deposit half. When we calculated the shortfall, it was over R50,000. We raised the issue and agreed it would be deducted from his weekly salary," Kunene explained.
These past incidents have prompted further questions in light of the current charges. "Is it fame? Did he have money problems? We trusted him with the establishment’s money to buy what we needed, and he would bring back change. Now we are wondering what went wrong," Kunene pondered.
According to residents who spoke to Sowetan following the murders, Principal Thapu had left for the day but returned to confront Shongwe regarding suspected unauthorised transactions when two gunmen entered the school and opened fire.
Maditsi and Shongwe made a brief court appearance on Monday, after which their matter was postponed. They are scheduled to appear in court again on December 1. The investigation is ongoing.
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