Tributes pour in for DJ Warras as police close in on suspect
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says one suspect identified in the shooting of Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, will be arrested soon.
The KZN-born radio personality was killed outside the Zambezi building in the Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday.
Masemola says the crime intelligence unit is working tirelessly to apprehend the suspects. " In the DJ Warras case, a suspect has been identified and is expected to be arrested before Monday. Police are confident the arrest will take place over the weekend.”
The 40-year-old DJ, broadcaster, and podcaster was remembered at a gathering in Sandton on Friday, following his fatal shooting outside Zambesi House in the Johannesburg CBD on the Day of Reconciliation.
His passing has sent shockwaves through the media, entertainment, and activism spaces, where he was known not only for his talent but also for his unapologetic voice and humanity.
Addressing mourners, his friend and podcast co-host DJ PH, real name Phind’Gcobe Madubela, described Warras as someone who instinctively showed up for others, even when it came at personal cost.
“We are here not because we want to be, but because love demands that we show up,” Madubela said. “And if there’s one person who understood that deeply, it was Warrick.
He showed up fully, loudly, with heart, with humor, and with intention, even when he was empty.”
Madubela said their relationship began more than a decade ago in Cape Town, during Warras’ early years in the entertainment industry.
What started as a professional connection quickly evolved into something far deeper.
READ: Six questioned in connection with DJ Warras murder
“I didn’t know then that I wasn’t just meeting a colleague or a co-host or a business partner,” he said.
“I was meeting a brother. One of those rare friendships that doesn’t need effort, doesn’t fade with time or distance, and quietly grows until you realize this person knows your whole life.”
He described Warras as fiercely honest and deeply loyal, someone who remained true regardless of circumstances.
“He knew my wins, my losses, my silences, and my failures, and through all of that, he stayed exactly who he was,” Madubela said.
Podcast host and close friend Penuel Mlotswa reflected on Warras’ sharp intellect and unwavering commitment to the country he loved.
“He was fiercely patriotic,” Mlotswa said. “He loved South Africa so much that it frustrated and angered him when things didn’t work for the people. He loved it enough to question it, to challenge it, and to demand better.”
Mlotswa said Warras was widely respected because he never spoke carelessly or without knowledge.
“When he spoke, you listened,” he said. “Not because he was loud, but because he was prepared. He read, he researched, he followed policy, and he checked facts. He spoke with passion but never from ignorance, and that made him powerful.”
Friends noted that Warras was often seen engaging with people across political and ideological divides, something Mlotswa said came from his desire to understand problems from every angle.
“He would sit with people you may not agree with, people you might avoid,” Mlotswa said.
“Not because he endorsed everything they stood for, but because he genuinely cared about solutions.”
Mavin Cohen, another close friend, focused on Warras’ emotional depth and ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
“He had this rare ability to make people feel comfortable,” Cohen said.
“Whether you were a CEO, a technician, a security guard, or someone just trying to figure life out, he met you where you were. No ego. No judgment. Just presence.”
Cohen described Warras as a man who gave love freely and consistently, often ending phone calls with the words, “I love you, bye.”
“At first, I thought it was just our thing,” Cohen said.
“Then I heard him say it to a call-center agent, and I realized this man wasn’t rationing love. He loved everybody aggressively.”
Friends also reflected on Warras’ devotion to his children, describing him as a present and deeply affectionate father.
“Everything he worked for, everything he pushed through, was for his boys,” Cohen said. “They were his life.”
Beyond music and broadcasting, Warras was remembered as a social and political activist who believed strongly in accountability and action.
“He could have stayed in entertainment and just been the coolest guy in the room,” Mlotswa said.
“But he chose to put his hand up and be part of the change. He believed pointing fingers wasn’t enough; you had to roll up your sleeves.”
Friends said Warras had a way of making even the most chaotic moments feel manageable, often grounding those around him with humor and familiar phrases.
“Take it easy, and if it’s easy, take it home,” Cohen recalled, a phrase Warras lived by. “It sounded simple, but it was his entire philosophy: don’t overcomplicate life.”
As tributes continued, one sentiment echoed throughout the gathering: that DJ Warras’ legacy lies not only in his career, but in how deeply he impacted people.
“He was brave, curious, generous, and real,” Madubela said. “And the love he gave so freely is the love we carry forward.”
As friends and family said their final goodbyes, they did so united by the values Warras lived by: honesty, courage, and compassion.
And in the words he ended every call with, they bid him farewell:
“I love you, bye.”
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