Gauteng police have opened a murder docket following the fatal shooting of a Nigerian national during the production of a popular anti-drug television program in Windsor East, Johannesburg. The incident, which occurred during the filming of the Moja Love channel’s show Sizokuthola, has sparked a protest and led to officials distancing law enforcement from the operation.
According to police, the shooting took place during an anti-drug operation conducted by the show’s crew. The program is presented by Xolani Khumalo, who is also the Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate for ActionSA. Authorities stated that a community protest erupted at the scene, and police were only summoned after the shooting occurred to respond to the situation. The South African Police Service (SAPS) later called in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) for backup.
In a televised interview, Johannesburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety, Dr. Mgcini Tshwaku, emphatically denied any prior involvement by city police. “I can safely say that JMPD was never part of the operation,” Tshwaku stated. He explained that according to a report from the JMPD’s Tactical Reaction Unit (TRU), officers arrived “aftermath” in response to a 101 emergency call about a community uproar and shooting.
Tshwaku detailed standard operating procedures for drug busts, which require an approved operational plan and, often, a search warrant. “That’s what differentiates the law enforcement officers and the private security company,” he said, underscoring that the JMPD had no such plan for this incident. He expressed frustration at being “dragged in,” and called for the show’s producers to come forward. “The individuals that were there must come out and tell the country what actually happened… instead of us… defending him.”
The MMC confirmed that JMPD and SAPS have not received any statements from the production team regarding the shooting. He contrasted the incident with previous collaborations, noting that Moja Love producers had contacted his office for a coordinated bust just last week.
In response, Moja Love spokesperson Nonzwakazi Cekete confirmed the channel had commissioned a third-party production company to film the episode. Cekete stated Moja Love was only made aware of the shooting incident after it occurred on Sunday evening.
“We cannot go into great detail because it’s under police investigation,” Cekete said, confirming the MMC’s account that law enforcement was not present during the operation but arrived afterwards. She acknowledged that the channel has standard operating procedures (SOPs) requiring cooperation with law enforcement for all productions, internal or external. “We are not above the law as Moja Love,” she said, citing the recent joint operation with JMPD as an example.
When pressed on why the third-party company apparently did not contact authorities, Cekete said the matter is under internal investigation. “We’re still asking the relevant questions and once the information is available we’ll then make it public.”
The identity of the deceased man has not been released, and the circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear. SAPS is investigating the murder case.