Fresh scrutiny over delayed prosecutions reveals that seven cases were recently dropped due to undetected suspects.
These troubling statistics surface just as the nation reels from the killing of former SABC sports presenter and prominent music-rights activist Owen Ndlovu.
Ndlovu was found dead in Thokoza on Wednesday, hours after he was allegedly hijacked and kidnapped in Katlehong.
Gauteng police have since opened a murder investigation and launched a manhunt for three suspects.
The parliamentary response, issued by the Acting Minister of Police in response to National Assembly, details the status of 11 cases at Hillbrow, Rabie Ridge and Mondeor police stations.
The question, submitted by EFF MP Eugene Mthethwa, sought answers on delays in prosecutions, measures taken to expedite cases, action against investigating officers and systems used to monitor their performance.
Of the 11 cases listed, four had been withdrawn by the Senior Public Prosecutor.
Three were Hillbrow cases — CAS 182/10/2025, CAS 200/06/2026 and CAS 97/06/2025. A fourth, Mondeor CAS 180/09/2024, was also withdrawn.
Another three Mondeor cases — CAS 172/10/2024, CAS 558/07/2024 and CAS 448/05/2024 — were closed as undetected because no suspects could be identified.
One additional Mondeor matter, CAS 148/10/2024, related to drinking in public and was finalised after an admission-of-guilt fine was paid.
Meanwhile, Hillbrow CAS 584/06/2023 remained under investigation, with police saying substantial progress had been made in securing executive-level statements.
Significantly, the police response states that the SAMRO Legal Department was assisting with the collation of information in that investigation.
The response also records that the Rabie Ridge investigation, CAS 347/03/2024, had been concluded and the docket submitted to the Senior Public Prosecutor after a Section 205 application relating to a cellphone number was completed and prosecutorial queries addressed.
Against this backdrop, Ndlovu was allegedly hijacked and kidnapped at about 20:00 on Tuesday while fetching his wife from church.
Police said three unknown men approached the couple, with one reportedly armed with a firearm, before pushing Ndlovu’s wife aside and forcing him into the back seat of his Ford Raptor.
The suspects then drove away with him. The bakkie was later recovered abandoned in Walkerville.
On Wednesday, police confirmed that Ndlovu had been found dead in Thokoza.
“His body was found dumped next to the road,” Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.
She said that a post-mortem examination will be conducted to establish the cause of death.
“The Germiston Trio Unit is investigating the matter as a murder case,” said Nevhuhulwi.
Police have appealed for information that could help identify and arrest the suspects.
The development has shocked Ndlovu’s family, colleagues and those who knew him through his career in broadcasting and his later work in the music-rights sector. His family has confirmed his death.
Ndlovu was at the forefront of SAMRO disputes.
The reference to SAMRO in the parliamentary response is particularly notable given Ndlovu’s documented and longstanding involvement in disputes concerning the organisation, music royalties and the interests of artists.
Ndlovu had publicly challenged SAMRO over the administration and payment of royalties and was involved in legal disputes with the organisation.
In November 2025, Ndlovu, then identified as the founder and convener of Artists United, was among those pushing for greater transparency and accountability at SAMRO and said the organisation needed assistance in identifying artists with outstanding royalty payments.
His dispute with SAMRO also resulted in court proceedings.
SAMRO itself confirmed in April 2025 that legal matters involving Ndlovu and/or his company, O.N.E Rights Management, had been instituted before the courts.
SAMRO disputed Ndlovu’s characterisation of the dispute and set out its own account of the contractual relationship.
More recently, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court dismissed a protection-order application brought by SAMRO CEO Annabelle Lebethe against Ndlovu, with the interim order discharged.
Ndlovu was also publicly involved in broader campaigns around artists’ royalties and SAMRO governance.
While the parliamentary response does not link Owen directly to the Hillbrow case or suggest it factored into his death, his activism places the mention of SAMRO within a highly significant context.
The parliamentary response does not state that any of the 11 cases is connected to Ndlovu’s death.
It also does not identify Ndlovu as a complainant, accused person or witness in the cases listed.
The reference to SAMRO is therefore a matter of documented context, rather than evidence of a connection between the parliamentary cases and Ndlovu’s murder.
The police response says no consequence-management action was required against investigating officers because no failure to perform their duties satisfactorily had been identified.
Police further said investigating officers receive instructions and guidance to facilitate the finalisation of investigations and that dockets are inspected monthly to monitor progress.
The parliamentary response records no disciplinary steps taken in the listed cases.
Ndlovu’s murder is now a separate and active investigation.
The immediate task for investigators is to establish what happened after he was allegedly taken from Katlehong, identify those responsible and determine the circumstances surrounding his death.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or provide an anonymous tip-off through the MySAPSApp.
