By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Murder-accused Sandton businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe has been denied bail in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg.
Molefe appeared in court on Wednesday for a formal bail application, facing four charges of murder and another four charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
He is accused of murdering of Oupa Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody.
Sefoka and his two bodyguards died in a hail of bullets after they were ambushed when returning from a gig in Midrand in 2022.
The magistrate presiding over the case, Reiner Boshoff, declined the bail application, citing WhatsApp messages presented as evidence by the state.
The court also believes Molefe could tamper with the ongoing investigations.
“The cell phone records between the respective accused are indeed very interesting. Accused one, frantically trying to reach the applicant moments after the hit on DJ Sumbody, made no less than eight calls to the applicant.Accused one also contacted the applicant after the killing of yet another DJ,” Boshoff said.
“In all these cases, cash deposits follow. The state alleges that the state witnesses feared for their lives after his initial release on bail.”
The judgment captures the State’s description of the modus operandi: “The victims were killed in assassination style with AK-47 assault rifles”, Boshoff continued.
Molefe was initially out on bail in the mistaken identity assassination case of East Rand engineer Armand Swart.
Boshoff said the state had presented strong evidence linking Molefe to the alleged criminal enterprise.
“Considering all the relevant facts and circumstances before the court, the court makes a value judgment and finds that the applicant failed to put forward exceptional circumstances justifying his release on bail,” he said. “His application is accordingly refused.”
Dressed in a suit, Molefe was told by the magistrate that his next court appearance would be on 18 September, when he is expected to appear alongside his co-accused for the indictment.
Fullview reported the same AK-47 rifle used in DJ Sumbody’s killing was linked through ballistic analysis to three other high-profile murders: DJ Vintos, Armand Swart, and Don Tindleni.
DJ Vintos, real name Hector Buthelezi, was shot dead outside a nightclub in Orlando East in March 2022. Tindleni was killed on the N1 highway near the N17 offramp in March 2023, while Swart was murdered in April 2024 in what investigators believe was a case of mistaken identity.
Speaking outside court, NPA Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the prosecution team believed the ruling was in the interests of justice, as there was a risk Molefe could interfere with investigations if released from custody.
“The evidence against the accused is overwhelming. We showed in court how he is linked to the offences, including WhatsApp messages between him and the other accused who are believed to be the gunmen,” said Mjonondwane.
Chad Thomas, speaking on behalf of DJ Sumbody’s family, who attended the case on the watching brief for the family, said that despite the damage caused by the contract killing to the family, the family feels relieved by the ruling.
“As the Sefoka family, we are satisfied with this outcome, and we believe that a lot of people are going to sleep easier tonight knowing that the purported mastermind of the murder-for-hire syndicate remains behind bars. The most important thing for us now is to see the NPA and law enforcement agencies work tirelessly to bring a stop to what has become a norm in South Africa, where people hire izinkabi (hitmen). This is something that should not be tolerated,” he said.