Why was Katiso Molefe denied bail in the DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos murder case?
Katiso “KT” Molefe, accused of masterminding the murders of DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos, denied bail at Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, accused of orchestrating the killings of two prominent musicians — DJ Sumbody (Oupa Sefoka) and DJ Vintos (Hector Buthelezi) — has been denied bail in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court.
Magistrate Renier Boshoff delivered the ruling on Wednesday, saying Molefe had failed to show exceptional circumstances to justify his release. The court expressed deep concern over his alleged criminal network, past convictions, suspicious finances, and potential to interfere with the ongoing investigation.
A Strong Case Against Molefe
Boshoff described the State’s case as “extremely strong” at this stage, pointing out that although Molefe was not physically present at the scenes of the murders, there was enough circumstantial evidence to link him.
Among this was cellphone data, which prosecutors argued showed that the alleged gunmen were waiting for Molefe’s payment after carrying out the hits. The phones of his co-accused were also detected near Molefe’s Sandton home shortly after DJ Sumbody’s assassination — despite them living in Roodepoort and Atteridgeville.
Read More: Why were DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos killed? The shocking story behind it
High-Profile Murders and Hit Squad Allegations
Molefe faces four counts of murder and four of conspiracy to commit murder.
- November 2022: DJ Sumbody, real name Oupa John Sefoka, was gunned down in Woodmead alongside his bodyguards Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza.
- March 2022: DJ Vintos (Hector Buthelezi) was killed outside a nightclub in Orlando East, Soweto.
The State alleges Molefe was the leader of an organised hit squad, working with former Johannesburg detective Michael Pule Tau, as well as alleged “career criminals” Tiego Floyd Mabusela and Musa Kekana.
This same group has also been implicated in other violent cases, including the 2024 murder of engineer Armand Swart (before the Gauteng High Court in Palm Ridge), the 2023 murder of Don Tindleni, and an attempted hit on socialite Tebogo Thobejane, allegedly linked to controversial businessman Vusimusi Matlala.
Flight Risk and Suspicious Finances
The prosecution argued strongly that Molefe was a flight risk:
- He travelled frequently abroad and, during a previous arrest in the Swart case, was allegedly on his way to Hong Kong.
- Investigators claimed he later attempted to have his passport returned after being released on bail in that matter, further fueling concerns he might flee.
Boshoff also flagged concerns about Molefe’s sources of income. The State argued that most of his funds came from cash deposits, which could not be properly explained. Molefe insisted these came from legitimate cash business dealings, but the magistrate ruled the explanation inadequate.
Criminal Past and Fraudulent Passports
Molefe’s criminal history was also raised in court. In 2004, he was arrested in the United Kingdom and convicted on drug smuggling charges, after being caught with a fraudulent Lesotho passport under the name David Lebitsa.
The magistrate said this past conviction, although historic, demonstrated “what Molefe is capable of” and highlighted concerns around his use of false identities.
“The current charges are of an extremely serious nature. They increase the risk that the accused may abscond. There is also evidence suggesting links between him and his co-accused in the aftermath of the killings. Very importantly, the evidential link between the four accused persons in this case appears to have increased.”
Molefe and his co-accused will return to court on 18 September as the high-profile case continues.
