Johannesburg – Warrick Stock – better known as DJ Warras – has been killed in a drive-by shooting in the Johannesburg Central Business District.
Although the motive for the Reconciliation Day murder has not been confirmed by police, speculation was that DJ Warras had participated in an eviction before he was gunned down.
The popular 40-year-old DJ had reinvented himself time and again.
From his early days spinning tracks on YFM, to prime-time slots on 5FM, co-hosting Live Amp on SABC1, and recently launching his own reality show on Mzansi Magic, DJ Warras was a fixture in South African entertainment.
Lately, he’d branched into security, owning JT VIP, a firm specialising in elite protection and reclaiming hijacked buildings — a dangerous but necessary venture in a city plagued by urban decay.
Suggestions were that DJ Warras was overseeing an operation to evict illegal occupants from one such building before he met his demise.
A witness said that when DJ Warras left the building on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, shots were fired from a moving car near the intersection of Von Wielligh and Commissioner Streets.
DJ Warras was fatally hit.
Police are investigating.
The murder of DJ Warras has shaken the broadcasting fraternity and the wider public.
Reacting to the brazen shooting, Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Peace Mabe, has expressed deep sorrow and outrage at the killing of the renowned broadcaster and cultural figure.
Deputy Minister Mabe described DJ Warras’ death as a tragic loss to South Africa’s creative, media and cultural community.
“DJ Warras was not only a gifted broadcaster and storyteller, but a cultural connector whose voice carried joy, humour and meaning into the lives of many South Africans,” said Deputy Minister Mabe.
“His killing is a painful reminder that violence continues to cut down lives that contribute positively to our democracy, our creative economy and our shared social fabric.”
His death comes at a time when South Africa continues to grapple with the safety of creatives, media practitioners and cultural workers, particularly those who live and work in public-facing spaces.
Deputy Minister Mabe said the loss must be understood not only as a personal tragedy, but as a national failure to adequately protect life.
“The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees the right to life, dignity, freedom and security of the person,” she said.
“These are not abstract principles. They are lived rights, and they must be defended in practice.”
Deputy Minister Mabe stated that the right to freedom of expression and cultural participation — as protected in Sections 16, 30 and 31 of the Constitution — cannot be meaningfully realised in an environment where creatives live in fear.
“As government, we have a responsibility to ensure that artists, broadcasters and cultural workers are able to contribute to society without threat to their safety,” she said.
“The Cultural and Creative Industries Masterplan recognises the sector as both an economic and social pillar. That pillar cannot stand when violence becomes normalised.”
Deputy Minister Mabe also acknowledged the deep pain felt across communities who saw themselves reflected in DJ Warras’ authenticity, courage and visibility.
“He represented a generation of creatives who lived openly, honestly and without apology,” the deputy minister said.
“South Africa must be a country where diversity is protected, not punished, and where difference does not become a death sentence.”
She extended heartfelt condolences to DJ Warras’ family, friends, colleagues and listeners, and called for swift justice.
“We call on law enforcement agencies to act decisively and transparently. Accountability is essential, not only for his loved ones, but for public confidence in the rule of law.”
“Let us honour DJ Warras not only with words, but with action… by recommitting ourselves to a society that values life, safeguards creativity and refuses to accept violence as inevitable.”
Commenting on the deadly drive-by shooting, ActionSA President Herman Mashaba condemned the brutal murder of DJ Warras.
“ActionSA believes that the criminal thugs responsible, who have no regard for human life, have declared war on law-abiding South Africans, particularly those who stand up against crime and work to reclaim our communities from these destructive elements,” stated Mashaba.
“If the thugs behind his assassination believe they have stopped the fight to reclaim Johannesburg’s inner city, they are gravely mistaken. All they have done is make it clear to patriotic, law-abiding citizens that we must step up and fight back.”
Mashaba added: “Now, more than ever, Johannesburg needs a tough, no-nonsense leader to do the hard work of reclaiming our city from illegal foreigners, drug dealers and criminals who have no respect for the law and who operate with near impunity.
“To DJ Warras’ family and friends, ActionSA extends its deepest condolences and strength during this devastating time.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has also extended deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of DJ Warras.
The DA said DJ Warras was outspoken, fearless, and unapologetic in his views.
“He was a leader in his own right, someone who used his voice, platform, and lived experience to speak honestly about the realities facing our communities,” the DA said.
“Whether people agreed with him or not, he stood firmly for what he believed in and was never afraid to confront difficult issues.
“His senseless and brutal killing is a devastating loss, not only to those closest to him but to our society.
“It highlights the rising wave of brutal targeted violence in our country, leaving citizens in constant fear as lives are taken with impunity.”
The DA said the murder of DJ Warras further lays bare how unsafe SA has become, and how shockingly easy it is to take a human life in broad daylight without fear of accountability.
“It challenges law enforcement agencies to act decisively to bring an end to this relentless cycle of violence that has already claimed so many lives,” the DA stated.
The DA said it strongly condemns DJ Warrass’ killing and called for a swift investigation and accountability.
“We will be closely monitoring this case to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and that justice is served,” the DA said.
“No family should have to bury a loved one because crime has been allowed to spiral out of control. May his family find strength during this painful time.
“Rest in peace, DJ Warras.”
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