By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has expressed shock and sadness following the death of racing driver Robert Wolk.
Wolk was shot and killed in an alleged road-rage incident in Kempton Park, Gauteng, on Wednesday, 16 September 2026.
“Robert Wolk was a champion in every sense of the word: a driver who competed at the highest level for South Africa across multiple disciplines in motorsport. That his life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, on our roads, is a tragedy that should trouble every South African. Our sportspeople should be able to travel our roads in safety, as should everyone else,” McKenzie said in a statement.
The Minister has conveyed his condolences to Wolk’s family, friends and the broader motorsport community, and expressed his full support for the South African Police Service investigation into the circumstances of his death.
The Minister calls on the SAPS to move swiftly to bring those responsible to book.
Wolk was one of South Africa’s most accomplished motorsport competitors, with a career spanning nearly three decades.
He was the SA Formula Volkswagen champion in 2013, the Formula 1600 champion in 2015, back-to-back SA GTC champion in 2021 and 2022, and SA Touring Cars champion in 2024.
Earlier this year, he claimed his second Simola Hillclimb “King of the Hill” title. He represented South Africa with distinction, holding both Junior and Senior Protea Colours for motorsport.
McKenzie has also expressed his deep sadness at the death of Owen Ndlovu (54), the former SABC sports presenter and music industry figure, who was found dead in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, after he was reportedly hijacked and kidnapped in Katlehong the previous evening.