Mamelodi News, 12 July 2025 – The vibrant streets of Mamelodi, once alive with the beats of Bacardi and Amapiano, now carry a heavy silence, haunted by the unresolved murders of three of Tshwane’s brightest stars: Vusi Ma R5, Peter “Mashata” Mabuse, and DJ Sumbody. For their families, friends, and fans, the pain of their loss is deepened by the absence of justice—2 years and 7 months since Sumbody’s death, 2 years and 5 months since Vusi’s, and 1 year and 2 months since Mashata’s. 
His wife, Sana Mosoeu, stood by his gravesite in Mabopane, her voice trembling in a March 2024 interview with Daily Sun: “Two years and five months, and still no one is behind bars. How do we heal?” Fans danced to his beats at his funeral, but their steps carried grief, a plea for justice unanswered. Gauteng police, per Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, say the case remains open, but the trail grows colder with each passing day.
Oupa John Sefoka, or DJ Sumbody, was more than an Amapiano pioneer—he was a dreamer who built a legacy with Ayepyep Lifestyle clubs, where Pretoria’s youth found freedom in music. On 20 November 2022, at 38, he was gunned down in Woodmead, Johannesburg, alongside his bodyguard, Sbu Mokoena, in a suspected hit. The bullets that tore through his car also shattered the hearts of his family and fans. Two years and seven months later, the investigation, led by Major-General Mbuso Khumalo, has yielded no arrests, as reported by The South African in June 2024. On social media, fans like @joy_zelda lament, “Sumbody’s killers walk free, just like Vusi’s.” His mother’s tears at his memorial, held at a packed venue where he once spun hits like Monate Mpolaye, echo a community’s unanswered cry: Why?
Peter “Mashata” Mabuse was Pretoria’s cheerleader, a 46-year-old DJ, comedian, and Mamelodi Sundowns announcer whose voice lifted stadiums and souls. On 21 April 2024, after a vibrant set at Epozini Lifestyle in Soshanguve, he drove into the night, unaware it would be his last. Near Tshwane University of Technology, gunmen unleashed a storm of bullets, killing Mashata and wounding his companion. His mother, Rebecca Mabuse, spoke through her grief to SABC News: “My son brought joy to so many. Who could take him from us?” One year and two months later, Gauteng police, under Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, report “strong leads” but no arrests. At Mashata’s memorial at Pretoria’s State Theatre, where he once MC’d for Sumbody’s farewell, mourners danced through their tears, clinging to his memory.
Though no evidence confirms Vusi Ma R5, Mashata, and Sumbody were close friends, their lives intertwined in the pulse of Tshwane’s nightlife. Mashata MC’d Sumbody’s memorial in 2022, a poignant link now shadowed by their shared fate. Posts on X point to the chilling similarities—targeted, military-style shootings in Gauteng, from Woodmead to Soshanguve. These weren’t random acts; they were executions that stole icons who defined Pretoria’s spirit. The lack of arrests, as noted in police statements to SowetanLIVE and TimesLIVE, feels like a betrayal to a community already scarred by violence, like the killing of 5-year-old Ditebogo Jr. in Soshanguve.
The taverns are quieter now, the dancefloors less alive. Pretoria’s youth, who once found solace in Vusi’s Bacardi beats, Sumbody’s Amapiano anthems, and Mashata’s infectious energy, now gather with questions: Who took our heroes? Why do their killers walk free?
The South African Police Service urges tips to the Crime Stop Line at 08600 10111, but for Pretoria, justice delayed feels like justice denied. Mamelodi News stands with the families of Vusi Ma R5, DJ Sumbody, and Peter Mashata, calling for renewed urgency in these investigations. Their music and laughter still echo in our hearts, but only justice can bring peace.
Join Our Mamelodi News Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1B3v9pejMj/
Join Our Mamelodi Community WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hvtkyy2dRXP2WYWRx2sdYR
Subscribe on our YouTube Channel:
One South African TV : (Content to come soon)
https://youtube.com/@onesatv?si=3Bdy4ql9gVzURK5_
Follow us Mamelodi News
Comments
Post a Comment