Clockwise from left: Mark Lifman; arrest of the suspects in the murder case of the slain underworld boss; and Lifman's grave in the Pinelands Jewish Cemetery in Cape Town. Pictures: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais and SAPS
The alleged assassins of suspected Cape Town underworld kingpin Mark Lifman face another month behind bars before they will be able to apply for bail.
Johannes Hendrik Jacobs (53) and Gert “Johnny” Bezuidenhout (37) made a second appearance at the George Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday morning, 13 November.
The duo has been charged with the premeditated murder of the businessman alleged to have been a ringleader of the city’s nightclub security extortion racket.
The accused’s request during their first court appearance to be held in solitary confinement until today’s appearance, was denied.
Lifman was gunned down while he was on trial – and out on R100,000 bail – for the murder of “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein.
Although he is no longer alive to stand trial for the international steroid smuggler’s 2017 murder, he remains the prime suspect alongside his co-accused – the alleged Sexy Boys and 26s gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen and security company owner André Naude.
ALSO READ: Brian Wainstein’s murder trial takes a hit: Lifman associate Andre Naude in hospital
Jacobs and Bezuidenhout were arrested in a white VW Golf near Uniondale shortly after Lifman was killed in a drive-by shooting at the Garden Route Mall in George on Sunday, 3 November at around 11.30am.
The 57-year-old businessman – who was usually surrounded by his team of heavily armed bodyguards – died of multiple gunshot wounds from a high-calibre rifle to the face and chest while walking to his bakkie in the parking lot.
Lifman, dubbed the “Don of Sea Point,” was reportedly in George for a “meeting” and was on his way to play a game of golf at Fancourt when he was gunned down.
ALSO READ: Brian Wainstein murder trial: Mark Lifman hit delays ‘anxious’ Mr X’s testimony
Bezuidenhout and Jacobs are listed as security specialists who at the time of their arrest were contracted by Professional Protection Alternatives (PPA) Security.
The owner of the Cape Town security firm, Andre Landman, is rumoured to have had prior dealings with Lifman.
“Both of them work for that company and the shooter was a former member of the Saps Task Force who was fired for tampering with evidence,” a highly-placed police source was quoted as saying in a DFA report at the time of their arrest.
“Apparently they believed Lifman was behind the murder of one of their [security] officers in an incident in Paarden Island.”
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile has previously described Jacobs as a “highly, highly trained” former Special Task Force (STF) member.
ALSO READ: Mark Lifman: Who is ‘Johnny Bacardi’ and what happened at James Small’s Café Caprice?
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Magistrate Emma Moloro was informed that the ID parade had not yet been concluded, and called for a ban on media photographers until then.
The accused’s new defence lawyer, attorney Bulelani Bans, officially came on record and informed the court that he had consulted with the families.
Calling for a postponement until December, legal teams informed Magistrate Emma Moloro that an advocate from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be assigned to the matter as they called for a postponement until December.
The case has subsequently been postponed to 12 and 13 December for the formal bail hearings.
As the investigation into Lifman’s murder continues, claims and allegations surrounding the circumstances of his death have been doing the rounds.
Speaking to the Cape Argus just hours before today’s court proceedings, a close associate claimed R10 million was offered for the hit of the Fresnaye property tycoon.
The source revealed to the publication that the tension was triggered by a battle for security contracts at mines in Middelburg.
“This thing started in March in Middelburg, not Cape Town. There is a guy who is a big businessman, who was allegedly high on drugs and throwing his weight around. He was throwing Mark’s name around, and Mark was called.
“He confirmed he knew the businessman and the situation was defused, and the businessman was told to stop his nonsense.”
The source says the fight then escalated with takeovers of the security contract at the Middelburg mines.
“That guy then wanted the security contracts and threw his weight around because he has money. We were also told that he offered R10 million for the murder of Mark.”
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