‘Reactionary populism’: Critics question Zambesi building raid after DJ Warras murder

Johannesburg MMC for public safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku has come under criticism after a late-night multi-agency raid at the Zambesi Building in the Johannesburg CBD, days after popular DJ and security contractor Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock was shot dead outside the premises.

In a video shared on social media ahead of Thursday’s operation, Tshwaku is seen giving direct operational guidance to law enforcement officers, calling for a more aggressive approach to violent crime linked to hijacked buildings.

“Colleagues who are law enforcement officers, it can’t be business as usual and I said to the commissioner as well, JMPD used to call 999 if their officers are shot. Why are you no longer doing it?” said Tshwaku.

The 999 police code refers to an emergency signal indicating “Urgent Help Needed” or “Officer Down.” This code alerts nearby law enforcement units that immediate assistance is required, often in life-threatening situations involving police personnel.

Tshwaku argued that the same urgency should apply to all victims of gun violence across the city.

“We should be doing 999 also to every citizen that has been shot dead, whether in Soweto, anywhere in the city, it can’t be business as usual. You need to ransack the city,” he said.

Tshwaku added that criminal networks needed to be disrupted aggressively.

“You must make these tasks ungovernable. Something has got to give because they think that they’re going to shoot people and nothing’s going to happen to anyone.”

He said that it cannot be business as usual when people are dying or being hurt in the city.

“We’ve got guns here. We’ve got everything and we’re government. We can’t have individuals assassinating people in front of our eyes and it’s business as usual. We have to come out from vacation. We want those people dead or alive, anyone throw the gun tonight we shoot to kill,” he said.

During the operation, Tshwaku led a multi-agency team that inspected 37 rooms in the eight-storey building, where authorities found tenants were not paying rent.

The building has been identified as one of many hijacked properties operating illegally in the inner city.

Stock was fatally shot outside the Zambesi Building on Tuesday. The eight-storey apartment block had reportedly been contracted to his company, Imperium Ops, for security services.

While some South Africans applauded authorities for acting decisively against organised crime linked to hijacked buildings, others questioned whether the response was driven by the fact that the victim was a well-known DJ.

Author Jackie Phamotse criticised the government’s response, saying: “Using his death for political scores is inhumane and vile. This is your job, people shouldn’t die for doing your job! You people are evil! You have no shame. Useless and pathetic imbecile. You sit there and watch buildings get taken when you have the resources to stop this.”

Another X user, Benjamin Taunyana described the raid as reactionary.

“Reactionary, populism. A famous person had to be killed for y’all to ‘take action’. The Zambezi Building is nothing compared to what we have in Hillbrow and surrounding areas,” he said.

Gina Samuels echoed similar sentiments, saying authorities had ignored residents’ concerns for years.

“It’s been a problem for more than 20 years, you’ve been aware and ignored the citizens’ concerns, now you’re reacting because a famous person has become a victim of crime. In two weeks’ time you’d be back to factory settings,” said Samuels.

Thulani Dlamini said: “We’ve seen this movie before, give it two weeks this hype will be gone.”

Meanwhile, minister of sports, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie has weighed in on the killing, expressing anger over Stock’s death.

“Now why am I angry? He was totally against the hijacking of buildings. Illegal foreigners come here, they hijack buildings and today they’ve killed one of our own,” said McKenzie.

McKenzie said he was waiting for the police minister to brief the nation on who killed Stock.

“I can bet my last cent that it is these illegal foreigners that have hijacked our building and we are angry. And this story is not ending here,” he said.

National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola has assured South Africans that the suspect responsible for Stock’s murder will be arrested before Monday.

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