Former SABC Sport presenter and prominent music rights activist Owen Ndlovu was hijacked and kidnapped at gunpoint on Tuesday evening, just hours before he was due to face the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) in a major financial court battle.
The incident occurred at approximately 20:30 in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, while Ndlovu was waiting to pick up his wife from a local church service.
According to preliminary police reports, a group of armed men ambushed Ndlovu in front of his wife, forced him into the back seat of his Ford Raptor, and sped away from the scene.
While the vehicle was later discovered abandoned in Walkerville, Ndlovu remains missing.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) have registered a case at the Katlehong Police Station and specialized crime units have launched a massive manhunt for the three armed suspects.
The timing of the kidnapping has sent shockwaves through the local music industry, coming exactly on the day Ndlovu was scheduled to appear in court regarding his ongoing legal war against SAMRO.
Ndlovu, who acts as a whistleblower and convener for the advocacy group Artists United, recently opened a criminal case exposing deep-seated corruption within the royalty-collecting society.
The legal dispute stems from a multi-million-rand “heist” first brought to light by Ndlovu.
Just last month, the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan / Legal Advisory and Compliance Organisation (LACO) staged an in-person raid on SAMRO’s headquarters after the organisation repeatedly ignored formal inquiries.
LACO demanded that SAMRO’s CEO Annabelle Lebethe account for R60 million in artists’ royalties allegedly plundered or mismanaged in 2023, alongside an outstanding debt of R900,000 directly owed to Ndlovu’s company.
SAMRO has previously denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations baseless and pointing to parallel legal battles concerning terminated service contracts with Ndlovu’s firm, One Rights Management (ORM).
With Ndlovu still missing, concerns are mounting that the abduction may be directly tied to his anti-corruption crusade and the highly sensitive data his company uses to track airplay royalties for marginalised artists.
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that law enforcement is investigating all possible angles.
Authorities are urgently appealing to any members of the public who may have witnessed suspicious activity in Katlehong or Walkerville on Tuesday night to immediately contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
[09/16, 12:25] Imbewu Newspaper: Itumeleng Kekana Identified As Second Woman Found Dead In Kempton Park
Itumeleng Kekana, a 32-year-old mother from QwaQwa in the Free State, has been identified as the second woman found dead in the Kempton Park area of Ekurhuleni.
Kekana was reported missing at Kempton Park SAPS on 17 July 2026 after she was last seen in the area.
Her family travelled from QwaQwa to Gauteng and searched hospitals, clinics, mortuaries and police stations for her.
On 3 August, her body was discovered in bushes near Great North Road, close to Max Informal Settlement in Pomona. Police said she had sustained multiple stab wounds.
Her boyfriend, who had been searching for her, identified her at the scene. Kempton Park SAPS subsequently opened a murder case. At the time, police said no arrests had been made and the motive remained unknown.
Kekana was laid to rest in QwaQwa on 22 August. She leaves behind a 14-year-old daughter, who is now living with her grandparents.
Her death is now being reported amid a wider police investigation into the deaths of several women whose bodies have been discovered in and around Ekurhuleni in recent weeks.
SAPS has established a coordinated investigation involving specialised units and has increased police visibility and patrols in affected areas. Investigators are comparing evidence from the different cases, but police have not confirmed that all the deaths are linked.
On 14 September, SAPS confirmed that the body of 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo had been positively identified by her family, as investigations into the deaths continued.
Police have appealed to anyone with information that could assist the investigations to come forward.
Information can be reported to Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or the nearest police station.