By Mamelodi News, July 15, 2025
In the dusty streets of Mamelodi, Pretoria, 2021 was a year of blood and whispers. A phantom killer, dubbed “John Wick” after the relentless movie hitman, stalked the township’s shadows, striking fear into the heart of the notorious Boko Haram gang. Bullets flew, bodies fell, and a community gripped by extortion and violence dared to hope for a savior. But four years later, as the dust settles, the question lingers like smoke: Was “John Wick” James Madimetja Nkoana, the alleged robber gunned down by police? Was it Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, a name tied to Boko Haram’s brutal resurgence? Or was it no one at all—a myth born from desperation and chaos?
- August 29: Two men shot dead outside Santorini Club, Mamelodi West.
- September 25: A 33-year-old killed at Mamelodi Heights Hostel, a Boko Haram stronghold.
- October 2: A 30-year-old gunned down in Section K.
- October 26: Mnguni’s killing on the N4, followed by another Boko Haram member’s death near Mahube cemetery.
Each killing bore the mark of a cold, calculated hand. A Facebook profile, “John Wick Mamelodi,” emerged from the digital shadows, claiming the hits and vowing to “finish Boko Haram.” On X, voices like @Kgahli93 hailed the phantom as a hero, even joking, “John Wick deserves to be Minister of Police.” Residents, battered by years of gang terror and police inaction, whispered of a vigilante cleansing their streets. Children, numb to gunfire, played in the aftermath, while the Community Policing Forum’s Eddie Mnguni admitted the township was “jubilant but terrified.”
Yet, the police painted a different picture. Brigadier Brenda Muridili scoffed at the “John Wick” legend, insisting the killings were Bafarasai’s power play against Boko Haram, not the work of a lone avenger. Whispers pointed to Vusi Mathibela, still pulling strings from prison, ordering hits on rivals like Mnguni, who’d stopped funneling him cash. Then came James Maru—James Madimetja Nkoana—a name that surfaced in 2023 when police gunned him down during a botched cash-in-transit heist in Centurion. Word on the street claimed Maru was “John Wick,” a vigilante turned criminal, or perhaps just a pawn in the gang wars. By 2025, another name emerged: Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, tied to Boko Haram’s resurgence and dubbed a new “John Wick” after a deadly shootout en route from Bronkhorstspruit to Mamelodi. An X post in July 2025 claimed Matlala’s gang “unmasked” and killed Maru, adding another layer to the enigma.
No arrests were made for the 2021 killings, and the silence was deafening. Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s 2025 whistleblowing exposed why: a Gauteng syndicate, allegedly shielded by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, had gutted investigations, pulling 121 case dockets to protect connected criminals. Mamelodi’s saga mirrored this rot—SAPS’s failure to dismantle Boko Haram or unmask “John Wick” reeked of compromise. X posts noted, “No one in Mamelodi would disclose who John Wick is,” as if the township itself guarded the secret. Illegal firearms flooded the streets, fueling more killings, while some residents cheered the idea of “John Wick” turning his aim on corrupt politicians.
Was “John Wick” James Maru, a fallen rogue who briefly lit up Mamelodi’s hopes? Was it Cat Matlala, a gangland figure cloaked in the same myth? Or was it a collective fantasy, a name given to the chaos of rival gangs and a community’s desperation? The 2021 killings offered fleeting relief, weakening Boko Haram’s grip, but the roots of crime—poverty, distrust, and a broken justice system—remained untouched. As Mkhwanazi’s revelations shake South Africa, Mamelodi’s tale lingers like a ghost, daring us to wonder: Was “John Wick” real, or just the shadow of a township crying for justice?
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