Update

GEORGE NEWS - The two suspects in the Mark Lifman (57) murder case, Johannes Jacobs (53) and Gert Bezuidenhout (37), were rushed away from the George Magistrate's Court by police shortly after their brief first appearance on Tuesday morning, 5 November. 

Both work in the security industry and are charged with the premeditated murder of the alleged underworld kingpin.

Jacobs is a former member of the police's specialist task force unit. According to reliable sources, he is a top-class shot and often participated in shooting competitions nationwide.

Both men previously worked for security companies in the Cape, sometimes as bodyguards.

Lifman, from Cape Town, was gunned down in the parking area at the Garden Route Mall at 11:38 on Sunday morning, 3 November. 

The attackers fled in a white VW Polo. Jacobs and Bezuidenhout were arrested near Uniondale at about 16:00 that afternoon.

Lifman, a notorious figure with alleged ties to organised crime in South Africa, was alone without any bodyguards when he visited the mall on the day of his assassination. This was unusual as he was typically accompanied by his security detail whenever he appeared in public.

A request by the accused to be held in solitary confinement while detained was denied by the magistrate on Tuesday. The case was postponed to 13 November for the state to gather bail information. The court ordered that no photos be taken of the accused as an identity parade still had to take place.

Wainstein murder

Lifman was due to appear in the Western Cape High Court on Monday 4 November for the Brian Wainstein murder trial. Wainstein, who was known as the 'Steroid King', was shot at his home in Constantia, Cape Town in August 2017. 

Lifman was the main accused alongside alleged Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome 'Donkie' Booysen and security company owner André Naude. Lifman was released on bail of R100 000 and ordered to hand in his passport.

Prosecutors claim Lifman paid to have Wainstein killed and that he and others took over Wainstein's illegal steroid business. 

The accused in the Wainstein case, including Lifman, Booysen, Naude and 11 others, face 36 charges, including murder, attempted murder, gang activities, and firearm offences.

Following Lifman's killing, the trial, which began in April, was postponed to Monday 11 November.

CCTV footage

Reliable sources told George Herald that the accused stayed in a guest house in Geelhoutboom while they were in George.

On CCTV footage George Herald was privy to, two men can be seen entering a farm outside George at about 12:20, park and swap the number plates of their VW Polo. This is believed to be Jacobs and Bezuidenhout shortly after Lifman was shot.

Patekile attends court

The provincial police top brass, including Provincial Police Commissioner Thembikile Patekile, also attended the court proceedings. During a media briefing after the court appearance, Patekile confirmed that Lifman was visiting Fancourt over the weekend to play golf, but said that the details are subject to the investigation.

"He was a free man in terms of bail conditions. He was not forbidden to travel to George," Patekile said.

Patekile said as the investigation unfolds, more arrests could be possible.

He also confirmed that Jacobs, who resigned from the task force in 1998/1999, was working for a Cape Town-based security company at the time of the murder.

Chequered history

Lifman's activities have been under scrutiny for years, and his name is frequently mentioned alongside other high-profile figures, such as Booysen and Nafiz Modack, due to alleged involvement in gang networks and violence in the Cape Town area.

Lifman was associated with controversy in Cape Town for decades but he always maintained he was an innocent businessman trying to do good.

Over the years, he has had multiple run-ins with the law and has been a key figure in the underworld. But nothing ever stuck. He was acquitted of sex charges, accused of drug dealing, murder, attempted murder, money laundering, extorsion and gang-related offences, and was recently also involved in a legal battle with former Beerhouse owner Randolf Jorberg involving a R1m defamation claim.

Mall confirms

General manager of the Garden Route Mall, Rion Olivier, said they are working closely with the police and its local security partners to investigate the incident.

"The mall continues to be open as per normal operating times and is safe for tenants and shoppers," he said in a statement.

Jacobs and Bezuidenhout were arrested near Uniondale on Sunday after-noon following Lifman's assassination.

Forensics at Lifman's body behind his Ford Raptor bakkie. Photo: Kristy KolbergProvincial Commissioner Thembikile Patekile speaks outside George Magistrate's Court. With him is provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie. Photo: Lizette da Silva

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