Supporters gathered outside the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning as the murder case of Warrick Robert Stock, widely known as DJ Warras, returned to the dock, with some voicing support for the work he was doing in combating the hijacking of buildings in the Johannesburg CBD.
The court appearance comes a day after reported that the Stock family had appealed to South Africans to show unity and remembrance ahead of the proceedings, including changing social media profile pictures to white and lighting candles.
Stock was shot and killed outside the Zambesi House building in the CBD in December while working as a security contractor at the premises.
Some of those who gathered outside court said DJ Warras had been actively involved in efforts to reclaim hijacked buildings and improve safety in the inner city, describing him as someone who “stood on the front line” against criminal networks operating in the area.
Initially, three people were suspected to have been involved in the fatal shooting. One suspect, 44-year-old Victor Mthethwa Majola, briefly appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court following his arrest last month.
Majola faces a charge of premeditated murder in connection with Stock’s death.
On Tuesday, DJ Warras’ sister Nicole was one of the people who attended the court session in Johannesburg.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Nicole appealed for solidarity but spoke against vengeance and violence.
“We will never understand why people do what they do. I know the guns are there, but it is what is inside us that makes us want to act and do certain things. We will never understand how people respond to me fighting with you or any kind of aggression, or me speaking out about something because we are all dealing with something totally different,” said Nicole.
“But you get giants that are being taken away from us, that the youth actually look up to and admire. So now it’s up to us as adults and as South Africans to be mentors to our children, to the youth, to the teenagers.
“Here you see there is three boys that have been left behind, but how many boys are without fathers, how many boys are without mothers? Blaming, pointing fingers is not gonna solve any problem. When we unite and hold each other, that is where we get the answers that we need, not what we want,” she said.
As the accused returned to court on Tuesday, the Stock family reiterated their call for the proceedings to be marked by dignity, reflection and unity rather than protest. Supporters were encouraged to observe the day quietly and to light candles at 18:00 wherever they are, as a gesture of remembrance and prayer.
The family said the candle-lighting moment was intended not only to honour Stock’s life, but also to call for fairness in the judicial process and for peace as the matter continues through the courts.
The case is expected to proceed on Tuesday, with investigations into the killing still under way.
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