By Johnathan Paoli
Johannesburg Magistrate Annalise Tlhapi has ordered that CCTV footage obtained from a butchery across the road from the murder scene of Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock be brought before court, as the bail application of alleged murder conspirator Victor Majola entered a tense and contested phase marked by sharp disputes over evidence and credibility.
Majola, a Soweto-based taxi boss, is facing charges of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the December 2025 killing of the popular DJ at the hijacked Zambezi House building in the Johannesburg CBD.
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He returned to the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday afternoon for closing arguments in his bail bid, although it remained unclear whether judgment would be delivered.
Proceedings were delayed when Majola’s legal representative, Dumisani Mabunda, applied for leave to further re-examine the State’s witness, investigating officer Captain Abe Montwedi.
The State objected, arguing that Mabunda had already been afforded sufficient opportunity to cross-examine the witness the previous day.
Mabunda countered that his client would suffer prejudice if he was not allowed to interrogate new aspects that had arisen, prompting Magistrate Tlhapi to allow limited re-examination.
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Central to Mabunda’s questioning was the issue of Majola’s residential address at the time of his arrest.
Montwedi had previously testified that he consulted an induna at the Soweto hostel where Majola claimed to reside, and was told that Majola had only been staying there for three days.
Mabunda put it to Montwedi that this version was disputed, submitting a statement from a ward councillor asserting that Majola had been living at the hostel for longer than three days.
Montwedi rejected the councillor’s statement, describing the councillor as a political deployee, and insisted that he relied on information from the induna responsible for the specific hostel section.
Mabunda requested that the matter stand down to allow Montwedi to verify the details contained in the councillor’s statement.
Montwedi pushed back, arguing that the onus lay with the accused to advance reasons why bail should be granted, not with the State to investigate and verify the defence’s claims.
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He added that he would only conduct further verification if instructed to do so by the court.
The court also heard detailed evidence relating to threats allegedly made against DJ Warras in the weeks preceding his murder.
Montwedi testified that in July 2025, a meeting was held between the deceased and residents of Zambezi House, during which six tenants allegedly told Warras that he could not “take money out of their mouths”.
According to the State, these threats escalated, leading Warras to apply for protection orders.
Magistrate Tlhapi requested copies of the protection order applications and read into the record the names of the six individuals against whom Warras had sought protection.
The first listed was Hlengiwe Buthelezi, Majola’s girlfriend, who was found in his company at the time of his arrest.
The other individuals were Phakamani Jali, Hazel Mangena, Ntombentsha Vellem and Sophie Khumalo.
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The protection orders described repeated harassment of security personnel at the building, threats of violence, and incidents in November 2025, where respondents allegedly returned with unknown males and threatened physical harm.
The applications were made approximately a month before Warras was shot dead on 16 December 2025.
Montwedi further testified that cellphone data seized during the investigation showed that Majola’s girlfriend had allegedly sent him details of Warras’s vehicle registration documents, which included the DJ’s residential address and that of his partner.
The State maintains that Majola, while not the shooter, was present with the alleged gunman and another accomplice, and is seen on CCTV footage pointing out the deceased shortly before the killing, while Warras was attempting to install security upgrades at the building.
It was in this context that Magistrate Tlhapi ordered that CCTV footage from a butchery opposite the crime scene be produced in court.
Montwedi told the court that he personally visited the butchery, spoke to the owner, and was informed that the footage had been retained for ten days before being handed over to police.
The footage is currently believed to be in police custody in Pretoria.
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