Cape Town - Two suspects nabbed on Sunday following the killing of Mark Lifman are expected to appear in the George Magistrate’s Court today.
Police confirmed last night that the pair, arrested in Uniondale which is 114 kilometres from George, would be charged with the murder of Lifman, 57.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut said: “In collaborative efforts to respond to crime and arrest perpetrators thereof, two suspects were questioned and are now charged with the murder of a 57-year-old man outside the Garden Route Mall in George.
“The pair, aged 37 and 53 were apprehended near Uniondale on Sunday afternoon and the vehicle they were travelling in was also confiscated. Their arrest follows a shooting incident that left the 57-year-old dead.
“After the suspects fled the crime scene, police, law enforcement officials, security companies and crime watch groups were activated to be on the lookout for the suspects in the region. As a consequence, the pair was arrested a couple of hours later,” said Traut.
According to a highly-placed police source, both suspects are employed at a prominent security company in Cape Town.
“Both of them work for that company and the shooter was in fact a former member of the Saps Task Force who was fired for tampering with evidence. Apparently they believed Lifman was behind the murder of one of their officers in an incident in Paarden Island,” said the source.
Meanwhile, tears flowed at the Western Cape High Court on Monday as murder accused Lifman was officially declared.
Lifman was set to return to the court on Monday where he was on trial for the murder of slain “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein along with several others.
On Monday morning cameras swarmed the courtroom as Lifman’s friends and co-accused including Andre Naude and Jerome “Donkie” Booysen could be seen visibly upset in the dock.
Legal representatives were seen saying their condolences to Lifman’s legal team as they sat teary-eyed waiting for Judge Vincent Saldanha to arrive.
State prosecutor Advocate Mervyn Menigo addressed the court saying due to the murder the state would be requesting a postponement of the trial to deal with administrative issues such as obtaining the death certificate and to allow his legal team to withdraw.
“The more heavy submission I have to make is that Accused 1 was murdered in George yesterday. His life was taken and the matter is under investigation,” said Menigo.
Addressing the court, Lifman’s lawyer, Advocate Estelle Kilian, was visibly upset as she withdrew from the trial.
“I confirm the passing of my client. I therefore do not have any further instructions, I withdraw from the matter.”
Saldanha expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Lifman saying: “The Court wishes to express condolences to the family of your client and I speak on behalf of all of the court staff and needless to say from the state and defence on the tragic circumstances of which your client has passed. It is a tragedy that anyone needs to die in such circumstances”.
The trial was postponed to next Monday. It is unclear at this stage if any of the charges on the indictment will be withdrawn.
Before his death, Lifman, along with several others, faced an array of charges linked to the murder of Wainstein and underworld clashes linked to nightclub security in Cape Town.
He is the fourth accused in the mammoth trial to be killed in recent years. Shortly after the arrest of Lifman, Booysen and alleged 27s gang boss William Stevens were granted bail of R100000.
But in February 2021 Stevens was gunned down outside his home in Rembrandt Street, Kraaifontein.
The notorious 27s gang leader, who was known for his full face of prison tattoos and affiliations with other underworld figures was declared dead on the scene and years later two suspects, linked to alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, were charged for the murder.
A month later another accused Jason Maits was shot and killed while leaving his home in Westridge, Mitchells Plain.
More than a year later another accused, Anthony Ameer van der Watt, was shot and killed while travelling along the M5 highway.
The horrific incident on 6 October 2022 saw the road being cordoned off as police questioned Van der Watt’s driver and his death was later confirmed during the pretrial hearings.