Mark Lifman Murder Accused Appear in Court, One Confirmed to Be Former Special Task Force Member

• A former Special Task Force Member is one of the men accused of killing Mark Lifman in George
• The alleged underworld crime boss was gunned down outside the Garden Route Mall in early November 2024
• Provincial Police Commissioner Thembikile Patekile said that both men were working as security guards

WESTERN CAPE – The two men accused of killing Mark Lifman have made their first appearance in court.

Johannes Jacobs (53) and Gert Bezuidenhout (37) appeared briefly in the George Magistrate's Court after they were arrested in connection with the death of the alleged underworld crime boss.

The case was postponed until 13 November so that the state could gather more information.

Accused worked for a security company

Speaking outside the courtroom, Provincial Police Commissioner Thembikile Patekile confirmed that both men worked for a security company in Cape Town.

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He also added that one of the men was a former member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and was a part of the Special Task Force until the late 90s.

Both men asked the court to issue an order that they be held in solitary confinement while they are detained in prison. Their request was denied by the judge.

Lifman murdered outside shopping mall

The men were arrested for the murder of Lifman on Sunday, 3 November. The alleged crime boss was gunned down outside the Garden Route Mall a day before he was due to appear in the Western Cape High Court for the Brian Wainstein murder trial.

Lifman and 13 others face 36 charges, including murder, attempted murder and gang activities. The case will continue despite Lifman's death, as the NPA confirmed that they would still prosecute the remaining accused.

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2 arrested for murder of Mark Lifman, alleged underworld boss gunned down before court appearance

Four of the men who were originally charged with Wainstein's murder have since been killed themselves.

Lifman appears in court

Briefly News reported how security was tightened at the Western Cape High Court in a related article.

Security was beefed up ahead of the appearances of two alleged crime bosses and their co-accused. Nafiz Modack and 14 others were in one courtroom, while Mark Lifman, Jerome Booysen and their 12 co-accused were in another.

Source: Briefly News