The inner workings of one of the most notorious Cape Flats gangs has been exposed at the Western Cape High Court as a former skollie has turned State
witness and started piemping members of the Terrible Josters gang.
The twelve suspects,including the nephew of Ernest “Ernie Lastig Solomon, Horatio Solomon, are facing 71 charges of murder, attempted murder and gun- and drug related crimes dating back to 2009.
Horatio, Ismail Ockerts, Brian Fieghland, Ishmaeel Ockerts, Elton Ely, Brent Campbell, Bradley Roberts, Lezay Booysen, Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Saafodien, Keenan Kruger and Lucian Consul were arrested in August 2017, bringing their reign of terror to an end.
‘DIE OU’: Ernie Lastig of Terrible Josters gang
Cop sources say the men were considered among the most dangerous skollies in the Western Cape who carried out shootings on rival gangs, allegedly under the instruction of Horatio and Ely.
On Monday the State witness, a former hitman and bodyguard who cannot be named, revealed how they orchestrated the death of their own gang member, Jermain ‘Joey’ Louw, after an order from “die Ou”, which he clarified referred to Ernie Lastig.
Addressing Judge Owen Rogers, the witness said Ely informed them that Joey was allegedly tikking with Ernie’s daughter in his home in August 2009 and had to be killed.
He says Ely came to his home with 100 mandrax pille and together they walked to the Belhar home of Jermain ‘Biggles’ Mckenzie, a hitman for the Junior Mafia gang.
“ Hy was Biggles van die Junior Mafias, anyone could hire him,” he testified.
He says he was ordered by Ely to give the pille and a 9mm pistol to Biggles as payment and told the court he dug up the firearm in his backyard where he stored his weapons.
Horatio Solomon is among the 12 suspects accused of 71 murders. Picture supplied
He later went to the scene in Da Gama Crescent where Joey was gunned down.
The witness says he even went to Joey’s funeral with Ely, as they were friends.
When asked why he did not warn his friend about his imminent death, the witness said: “ Dan sal hulle vir my geskiet het. Joey was my vriend.
“Accused five (Ely) and I went to the funeral so that Joey’s family wouldn’t think that it was the Terribles that murdered him.”
The witness also outlined how, along with Campbell, he was ordered to shoot on the home of Junior Mafia gang members in Anrieth Street in September 2012.
The case continues.
Elton Ely was at the funeral of gang member after being involved in his murder. Picture supplied