The Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday postponed the bail hearing of the man accused of orchestrating the murder of entertainer Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock until Thursday, after ordering that CCTV footage allegedly capturing the shooting be presented in court.
Magistrate Annelise Thlapi ruled that the footage said to show both the alleged gunman and accused mastermind Victor Majola must be submitted and viewed as part of further evidence before a decision is made on Majola’s bail application.
The footage was reportedly recorded by a security camera at a butchery near the scene where DJ Warras was shot dead on December 16 2025.
The matter was postponed for a few minutes on Wednesday afternoon after concerns were raised about the availability and handling of the video evidence, which the state claims captures about 45 minutes of movement involving Majola and the other two accused in the moments leading up to the fatal attack.
During proceedings, Thlapi instructed investigating officer Capt Abe Montwedi to urgently contact the owner of the butchery to establish whether a fresh copy of the footage could be obtained directly from the business, to avoid potential delays and chain-of-custody concerns linked to SAPS forensic offices in Pretoria.
Majola’s lawyer, Dumisani Mabunda, told the court that access to the footage was critical for the defence and warned that withholding it could prejudice his client and undermine the fairness of the bail proceedings.
However, Montwedi later reported back to court that the owner of the butchery said the footage was only retained for 10 days and had been deleted after it was initially handed over to police.
The court said it would consider how the footage should be handled and whether it would be admissible before ruling on the bail application.
The hearing also revisited disputes over Majola’s residential address, which the state has cited as a reason to oppose bail.
They said they do not know the induna the officer is referring to and confirmed that the accused stays at that address
— Lawyer Dumisani Mabunda
Mabunda told the court that he had approached a ward councillor who confirmed that Majola lives at the hostel address provided to police.
He said several indunas at the Merafe hostel had also come forward, disputing the state’s claim that Majola had only stayed there for three days.
“This matter is of public interest,” Mabunda said. “The indunas at the Merafe hostel were shocked. They said they do not know the induna the officer is referring to and confirmed that the accused stays at that address.”
Montwedi maintained that he had consulted the correct induna responsible for the unit where Majola was found.
“There are many indunas at the hostel, from different parts of KwaZulu-Natal,” Montwedi told the court. “The one I spoke to is responsible for that unit and gave a statement to me.”
The investigating officer further questioned the weight of the ward councillor’s confirmation, describing the councillor as a political appointee who does not reside at the hostel.
The bail hearing is expected to resume on Thursday, when the court is expected to rule on the handling of the CCTV footage and continue with arguments regarding Majola’s release.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.