The murder of Warrick "DJ Warras" Stock was a crime that shocked South Africa’s entertainment industry to its core. A popular figure known for his vibrant personality and his work in the music scene, Warras was gunned down in what appeared to be a cold-blooded assassination. But as the case moves through the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, a new and even more terrifying story is emerging. The man accused of pulling the trigger, 25-year-old Armindo Joaquim Pacula, has abandoned his bail application—not because he is ready to face justice, but because he is terrified of being murdered inside the very prison where he is being held.
Known as "Sun City," the Johannesburg Correctional Centre is one of the most notorious prisons in the country, a place where gang rule often supersedes the authority of the wardens. Pacula, a Mozambican national, told the court through his lawyer that his life is in immediate danger. “My client has informed me he fears for his life, as there are people who killed his friend at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre. He is afraid he might be killed if he is incarcerated at Johannesburg Correctional Services,” his attorney, Thembile Gumpye, stated. This is a chilling admission that suggests a "prison within a prison" dynamic where the accused is a marked man.
Why would a suspected killer be so afraid of his fellow inmates? Our investigative report looks into the dark corners of this case to find the answers. One theory is that Pacula knows too much. The murder of DJ Warras is believed to be linked to the "hijacking" of buildings at the Zambezi flats near the Carlton Centre—a lucrative and violent criminal enterprise in the heart of Johannesburg. At the time of his death, Warras was actively involved in security upgrade work at that very location. This suggests that his murder was not a random act of violence, but a hit ordered by powerful interests who did not want their control over the hijacked buildings threatened.
If Pacula was the "trigger man" in a professional hit, he becomes a walking target the moment he enters the prison system. The people who hired him may want him silenced to ensure that the trail of evidence never leads back to them. The fear he expressed in court is a rare glimpse into the terrifying reality of South Africa’s gang-run prisons, where "hits" can be carried out with terrifying ease. We simplify the situation: Pacula is caught between the law and the very criminals he allegedly worked for. By abandoning his bail and asking for a transfer to Modderbee Prison, he is essentially choosing the safest possible "cage" to hide in.
The prosecutor, Vincent Mochabela, confirmed that arrangements have been made for the transfer, but he also highlighted the complexities of the case. Pacula is currently in the country illegally, and when the police went to verify his home address, they found no one there. This "ghost-like" existence makes him even more vulnerable. Without a stable background or legal status, he has no one to protect him on the outside, and his only hope for survival on the inside is to cooperate with the authorities. Indeed, his lawyer has already hinted at a "possibility of a plea" in the matter, which usually means the accused is ready to talk in exchange for a lighter sentence or better protection.
The presence of a team from the Mozambique High Commission at the court proceedings adds another layer of international intrigue. Led by Guilherme Tanele, the representatives have called for justice while promising to cooperate with South African authorities. “If it is proven that he has committed a crime, we will be there to cooperate,” Tanele said outside court. This suggests that the Mozambican government is keeping a close eye on the case, perhaps aware of the wider criminal networks that often operate across the border.
As the case is postponed to 11 February, Pacula will eventually have to stand alongside his co-accused, Victor Mthethwa Majola. The motive behind the killing of DJ Warras is becoming clearer: it was about power, property, and the vast amounts of money involved in the city’s hijacked buildings. Warras was a man trying to make those buildings safer, and for that, he paid with his life. Now, the man accused of taking that life is begging for his own, terrified that the same shadows that claimed Warras are now reaching for him inside the walls of Sun City.
This is a documentary-style investigation into a crime that is about much more than just a single shooting. It is a story of how organised crime has hollowed out the heart of Johannesburg and how the prison system has become a battlefield for those who know too much. We have analysed the hidden details of Pacula’s fear and found a man who is terrified of the very world he inhabited. Whether he pleads guilty or not, the "Fear in Sun City" is a stark reminder that in the world of high-stakes crime, there is no such thing as a clean getaway—only a different kind of prison.
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