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The undercurrents of Cape Town’s criminal underworld have surfaced with the premeditated murder charges levied against Johannes Hendrik Jacobs and Gert “Johnny” Bezuidenhout, the alleged hitmen of suspected crime boss Mark Lifman. With the bail hearing set for December 12 and 13, the duo remains incarcerated, connecting pieces of a complex puzzle involving underworld rivalries and shadow economies.
On November 13, the duo made their second court appearance at the George Magistrate’s Court. Their background in security, having been contracted by Professional Protection Alternatives (PPA) Security, adds to the intrigue. Jacobs, a "highly trained" ex-member of the Special Task Force, and Bezuidenhout’s plea for solitary confinement has been denied as they anticipate their bail application.
Lifman, the supposed "Don of Sea Point," renowned for his entanglements with nightclub security extortion, met a violent end in a brazen daytime assassination at George’s Garden Route Mall on November 3. With his undoing delivered by a high-calibre rifle round, the event has sparked widespread speculation and unearthing of long-standing feuds.
At the center of this narrative lies Lifman’s controversial legacy. Despite perishing before his trial for the murder of “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein could conclude, the echoes of his alleged crimes reverberate. Lifman was implicated alongside Jerome “Donkie” Booysen and André Naude, known figures in the gangster terrain of Cape Town.
The two accused's ties with PPA Security and allegations linking their vendetta to an earlier killing of one of their officers offer a glimpse into the sinister motives behind the homicide. André Landman, PPA’s owner, rumored to have interacted with Lifman, casts another shadow on the complex network of relations.
With the Western Cape police chief acknowledging Jacobs' elite training, the case attracts national attention, compelling the court to exclude media photography and assign an advocate from the Director of Public Prosecutions to the case. Meanwhile, local narratives stir with claims of a R10 million bounty placed on Lifman’s head, purportedly originating from a dispute over security contracts in Middelburg mines.
As Cape Town’s authorities piece together this web of conspiracies and clashes for power, the legal proceedings are set to resume in December, potentially uncovering more layers of the city’s criminal fabric.