Nicole Stock, sister of DJ Warras, was emotional as she spoke to the media after a brief appearance of the suspect who allegedly killed her brother. (Kabelo Mokoena)

The family of slain DJ and media personality Warrick “DJ Warras” Stock says the pain of his loss remains raw, following a brief and emotionally difficult court appearance of the man arrested in connection with his murder at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

Victor Majola, who is accused of killing DJ Warras on December 16 in the Johannesburg CBD, made a brief appearance, which was supposed to be his bail application, but the state requested that it be postponed to next week.

Majola was arrested on December 24 and has been in custody since.

For Stock’s sister, Nicole, the short proceedings were emotionally jarring and highlighted how unfamiliar the legal process has been for the family.

“My heart’s racing. I’ll be honest with you. It’s like a shock,” she said outside court. “I never expected it to be so short and quick, but I understand it must be the process. I’m not a prosecutor or an advocate, so I don’t understand court proceedings.”

She said the appearance came during an especially painful period for the family, who had just endured their first festive season without DJ Warras.

“We were all expecting that call to say, ‘Are you home? What’s for lunch?’ and him coming in with the whirlwind, kissing everybody, hugging everybody,” she said. “So yes, we missed him. We all missed him. The boys also miss him.”

Victor Majola appears briefly at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday. (Kabelo Mokoena)

Nicole described the loss as something that continues to deepen with time.

“It’s real. It’s now becoming more real. The void is real,” she said, adding that faith has become the family’s main source of strength. 

She appealed for unity and restraint, saying anger and revenge would not bring healing.

“We need prayer, we need God, [and] we need love and support. Anger and revenge are not going to get us to where we need to be. We need to trust the process that’s taking place right now,” she said.

Meanwhile, Majola’s legal representative, advocate Dumisane Mabunda, said his client had instructed him to convey his condolences to the Stock family. Mabunda maintained that the state does not have a strong case against his client, arguing there is no prima facie evidence linking him to the crime.

Initially two people were arrested for the murder of DJ Warras, but only Majola has been charged. The other person, believed to be a woman, was released without appearing in court.

Mabunda also said his client has no previous convictions and was arrested at a known address. Addressing his client’s condition, Mabunda alleged that the accused was assaulted during his arrest and suffered injuries, adding that he only received medical attention on Monday.

The matter has been postponed to January 13 for the formal bail application.