WATCH | Final call for ‘The Shady Lurker’: DJ Warras laid to rest
The family and friends of Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock are gathering in Rosebank for a private funeral service.
Image: Instagram
The curtains close today on the life of Warrick Stock, the 40-year-old media personality affectionately known as “DJ Warras” or "The Shady Lurker," as his funeral takes place in Rosebank.
While the atmosphere is one of profound grief, it is also marked by a sense of burgeoning justice, after Gauteng police confirmed on Monday that two suspects have been arrested and charged with his murder.
The Targeted Hit
The tragedy unfolded on 16 December—the Day of Reconciliation in South Africa. DJ Warras was gunned down in broad daylight in the Johannesburg CBD shortly after midday. He was exiting Zambesi House, a building near the Carlton Centre, when he was approached by three suspects. CCTV footage captured a shooter, with one of the assailants dressed in a security uniform, firing multiple rounds.
Though Warras was armed, he never had the chance to defend himself, collapsing across the street as the assailants fled on foot.
The Motive: A War on Urban Decay
Investigation details suggest Warras’s death was a calculated "hit" linked to his work outside the DJ booth. As the owner of a private security and property management firm, Warras was actively involved in reclaiming hijacked buildings in the inner city.
IOL reported last week that in the months leading up to his death, DJ Warras had obtained five protection orders against individuals who had allegedly threatened him and his staff. Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku, noted that a "price was put on his head" because his efforts to restore order were cutting off the illegal income of powerful building hijacking syndicates.
A Voice That Defined a Generation
Before he was a "community fighter," Warras was the voice of a generation. His 15-year career saw him rise from YFM to become a cornerstone of 5FM and the face of SABC 1’s Live AMP. Known for his sharp wit and refusal to bite his tongue, he most recently co-hosted The Shady PHodcast and Mzansi Magic’s Ngicel’iVisa.
At a memorial service held last Friday in Sandton, industry colleagues like Sizwe Dhlomo and Pearl Thusi remembered him not just as a broadcaster, but as a devoted father of three who was "angry at the state of his city" and determined to fix it.
Status of Justice
The two suspects arrested at Morafe Hostel on Monday are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 24 December.
National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola has vowed that the investigation will not stop until every person involved in the "senseless and cruel" act is behind bars.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News