Gauteng police say TV production security team shot Nigerian suspect where Xolani Khumalo was present
Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate, Xolani Khumalo, was present when his security team shot a Nigerian man during an anti-drug operation in Johannesburg.
Image: X
Gauteng police have confirmed that the TV production security team working with ActionSA's Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Xolani Khumalo, shot and killed a Nigerian suspect.
The shooting occurred on Sunday in Linden, Windsor East, Johannesburg, while an episode of the Moja Love television programme Sizokuthola was being filmed
Police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said public order police were called to the scene to restore calm following the shooting.
"Preliminary investigations indicated that a production company was filming in the area and that shots were fired, allegedly by the production team’s security. The production team went to the police station when a group of people started protesting. A case of murder has been registered and investigations are underway,” Sibeko said.
Sibeko added that no arrests have been made.
ActionSA said the man was suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.
“For too long, drug syndicates have terrorised our communities through violence, intimidation and total disregard for the law,” ActionSA said in a statement.
The party added that it would continue to support decisive and lawful measures to dismantle drug networks and confront criminals who believe they are untouchable.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku dismissed reports that the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) was part of the Sizok’thola production.
“We are not celebrities; we are law enforcement officers and law-abiding. The JMPD was called by the South African Police Service (SAPS) for backup after reports on the radio that a person had been shot and the community was starting to protest,” he wrote on X.
Khumalo is a well-known public figure due to his role on Sizok’thola, a programme focused on crime and community safety, where he has built a national profile by confronting alleged drug dealers and exposing criminal syndicates.
This is not his first encounter with the law. Earlier this year, he handed himself over to SAPS and was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) and pointing a firearm. Despite these allegations, ActionSA said it would not suspend Khumalo, describing the charges as false and politically motivated.
In 2024, his activism became entangled in a high-profile legal case following a confrontation in Katlehong that resulted in the death of Robert “Kicks” Varrie, a suspected drug dealer.
Police initially charged Khumalo with murder, robbery and malicious damage to property. Moja Love subsequently terminated his contract, and Khumalo spent months attending hearings at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
In April 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority provisionally withdrew the charges, citing the need for further investigation.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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