“People Knew — But Said Nothing”
In the heart of Johannesburg’s bustling CBD, on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, Warrick Stock — better known as DJ Warras — was gunned down in broad daylight. The 40-year-old entertainer, businessman, and outspoken activist against urban decay stepped out of Zambesi House on December 16, 2025, only to be approached by a gunman who fired multiple shots before fleeing. What should have been a routine visit to a property his security company was helping reclaim turned into a fatal ambush that has left South Africa reeling.
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The crime scene, cordoned off with yellow police tape opposite the Carlton Centre, quickly filled with shocked onlookers, family members, and media. Yet, beneath the chaos, a chilling reality emerged: people were nearby. Cameras captured the horror in real time. But crucial details remain fragmented, shrouded in silence born of fear.
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Eyewitnesses in the vicinity have expressed profound hesitation to speak openly. Reports from the scene describe individuals reluctant to go on camera, citing the “sensitive nature” of DJ Warras’s work in reclaiming hijacked buildings. His involvement in securing properties like Zambesi House — an eight-storey structure plagued by illegal occupation — placed him squarely in conflict with powerful criminal syndicates that profit from these “bad buildings.”
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Zambesi House, like hundreds of others in Johannesburg’s inner city, had fallen victim to hijacking: criminal networks forcibly occupy buildings, rent out rooms illicitly, and often turn them into hubs for brothels, drug manufacturing, and other illegal activities. DJ Warras, through his company Imperium Ops, was contracted to audit and secure such properties, installing biometric systems and assisting with evictions. His close associate Nicole Nelson revealed that audits uncovered severe issues, including health hazards and alleged child exploitation. Just weeks before his death, he obtained multiple protection orders against tenants who threatened him and his team.
This work made enemies. City of Johannesburg Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku stated that Warras had five protection orders against known individuals, and a “price was put on his head.” A woman, described as a former tenant and potential “kingpin,” has been identified as a person of interest. Raids on Zambesi House by Johannesburg Metro Police yielded several people taken in for questioning, though official arrests remain pending as of late December 2025.
CCTV footage, extensively reviewed by investigators, shows three suspects coordinating the attack. The primary shooter — a short man with dreadlocks, possibly disguised in a security uniform — approached calmly, fired, and fled on foot. Another suspect lingered near Warras’s vehicle. Disturbingly, reports suggest the gunman returned to the scene twice, blending in with bystanders to observe the aftermath.
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Despite this clear evidence, the investigation faces a familiar hurdle in South Africa: witness intimidation and fear. In a country with one of the world’s highest murder rates — over 60 killings daily — speaking out against organized crime can be deadly. The hijacked building crisis fuels this silence; syndicates are well-armed, funded, and ruthless. Witnesses know that testifying could invite retaliation, not just against themselves but their families.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has vowed progress, stating a primary suspect has been identified and an arrest was imminent as of December 20, 2025. Yet, five days after the shooting, no arrests have been confirmed, and police continue to appeal for information via Crime Stoppers. Social media rumors of detentions were swiftly denied by authorities, highlighting the frenzy — and frustration — surrounding the case.
DJ Warras’s death has amplified calls for action against building hijackings, a scourge that turns vibrant urban areas into no-go zones. Politicians, including Minister Gayton McKenzie and former mayor Herman Mashaba, have condemned the killing as emblematic of deeper failures in law enforcement and urban management. At his emotional memorial service in Sandton, family and colleagues paid tribute to a man who “spoke his truth without fear.” His children described him as a hero; his sister broke down, saying he “belonged to a nation.”
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This silence isn’t unique to Warras’s case. South Africa’s violent crime epidemic thrives partly on community fear. Witnesses to gang hits, extortion, or syndicate operations often stay quiet, knowing police protection is limited and reprisals swift. In the CBD, where hijackers operate openly, residents and workers live in constant threat.
Investigators are racing against time. Memories fade, evidence degrades, and fear deepens. If someone — a bystander who saw the suspects flee, a tenant aware of threats, or an insider in the syndicates — finally speaks up, the fragmented puzzle could snap into focus. Until then, the truth risks slipping further away, buried under layers of unspoken knowledge.
DJ Warras paid the ultimate price for challenging the status quo. His voice, once booming over airwaves and podcasts, now echoes in demands for justice. Will those who knew something find the courage to break the silence? South Africa waits — and mourns.
