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News24
29-07-2025
- News24
DJ Sumbody assassination: Katiso Molefe, co-accused linked to two other murders
Sandton businessman and three others linked to the 2022 killing of Oupa 'DJ Sumbody' Sefoka, as well as to the assassinations of DJ Vintos and engineer Armand Swart. Police tie recovered firearms used in the murders, marking a significant breakthrough in a complex investigation. Bail hearings for the suspects are set for 6 August, with investigations continuing to uncover further developments. Notorious Sandton businessman Katiso Molefe, implicated in the killing of popular musician Oupa 'DJ Sumbody' Sefoka, has been linked by police to two other high-profile assassinations, alongside his co-accused. Molefe and alleged hitmen Michael Tau, Musa Kekana and Tiego Mabusela appeared in the Alexandra Magistrates' Court on Tuesday in connection with the November 2022 killing of Sefoka. The case was postponed to 6 August for all the accused to apply for bail. Sefoka was fatally shot in Woodmead in what appeared to be a targeted attack. The ambush also claimed the life of another individual and left a third person wounded. Speaking after the adjournment of court proceedings, SA Police Services spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said police have linked the AK47, which was used in Sefoka's murder, as well as the three pistols found in connection with the Armand Swart case, to the killing of Victor Buthelezi, popularly known as DJ Vintos. Our investigations have now brought us to this point, where we are linking the AK47 as well as the three pistols that were found in the Armand Swart case to the killings of DJ Vintos, Athlenda Mathe Since the incident, police have maintained a level of discretion regarding the investigation, withholding details about possible motives or the events leading up to the shooting. However, the recent arrest of the four suspects is viewed as a significant development in a lengthy and complex investigation. The investigation remains active and further updates are expected as the case progresses. According to the police, the alleged hitmen were involved in the murder of Swart, who was killed in April last year. Kekana and Mabusela have also been linked to the attempted murder of former Muvhango actress Tebogo Thobejane. When the case was postponed two weeks ago, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the state was finalising the investigation in terms of the bail application that must be heard by the court. 'As the state, we were not yet ready to proceed,' Mjonondwane said then. 'So, we have been granted that opportunity as the state to conclude those investigations, which will include, among other things, profiling of the accused who want to bring the formal bail application,' she added.
IOL News
28-06-2025
- IOL News
Urgent search for missing student at East Beach, Port Alfred
Authorities are searching for a student who went missing while swimming with friends at East Beach in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape. Image: File Picture A student is missing after he got into difficulty while swimming with friends at East Beach in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape on Friday. National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon said at approximately 1.42 am on Friday morning, the NSRI Port Alfred duty crew were activated following reports of a person missing at East Beach. Lambinon said it appears that three friends, two males and a female, Rhodes University students, had gone swimming when all three may have been caught in rip currents. 'One man and the female were reportedly able to swim to safety,' he said, adding that they were not injured. He said a 22-year-old man from Limpopo, now living in Makhanda, reportedly went missing in the surf zone. NSRI Port Alfred rescue swimmers, an NSRI rescue vehicle, the SA Police Services, and Multi Security responded to the incident. In addition, Lambinon said the NSRI rescue craft Rescue 11 Alpha was launched. 'An extensive search operation for the missing man commenced. Despite the extensive sea and shoreline search, no signs of the missing man were found,' he said. He said on Friday the NSRI Port Alfred rescue craft, an NSRI rescue vehicle, and NSRI rescue swimmers assisted the SA Police Services, Police K9 Search and Rescue, and SAPS Water Policing and Diving Services (WPDS) in ongoing search efforts that are being led by Police. Lambinon said the man remains missing and police have opened an investigation. 'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man in this difficult time,' he said. Ranging in width from just a few metres to a hundred metres, the NSRI said rip currents pull to just behind where the waves form and then lose their power. A rip current is not the same as a rip tide, which is formed as the tide ebbs and flows through a narrow opening such as an estuary, the NSRI noted. Rip currents: How to spot them and what to do when caught in one Rip currents are able to develop where there are breaking waves. Bigger waves produce stronger currents, and these 'rivers' of current are produced by water moving from the beach back out to sea. They happen all the time at many beaches and are the biggest danger that visitors face in the water. As with all risks, avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy. To do this, swim at a beach where lifeguards are on duty and swim between their flags. Although an untrained eye may struggle to see rip currents, stronger rip currents give telltale signs. With patience and careful observation, it is not hard to see that water in a channel or 'river' between breaking waves is moving away from the beach. The current may not flow straight out from the beach; it may flow at an angle or have a bend or two in it before it gets to the backline where waves are forming.
