The ruthless nature of killings during gang wars in Belhar and Delft was revealed at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday as a former skollie explained how he was sent to hospital to “pull the plug” on a rival gang member.
The man, who cannot be named as he is a 204 witness, continued to testify in the trial of twelve notorious members of his former gang, the Terrible Josters, in a tense courtroom filled with cops and correctional services officers.
PULL THE PLUG: Skollies sent to hospital to finish the job
Nearly two years after their arrests, Horatio “Voudie” Solomon, Ismail Ockerts, Brian Fieghland, Ishmaeel Ockerts, Elton Ely, Brent Campbell, Bradley Roberts, Lezay Booysen, Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Saafodien, Keenan Kruger and Lucian Consul are standing trial for 71 charges, which include a long list of murders, attempted murders and drug crimes.
The witness explained how four years after hiring Jermaine “Piggles” Mckenzie to kill one of their own gang members, he, along with Ely planned Mckenzie’s murder during a gang war between the Terrible Josters and Junior Mafias.
He says on 3 March, Piggles passed him in Leerdam Road and “ wysed my vingers”, in a threat to kill him.
He says he and Piggles used to be childhood friends before joining different gangs.
“ Ek was ’n Terrible en hy was my vyand. Hy het gun geskiet vir [George] Geweld Thomas, die leier van die Junior Mafias.
“We were at war and Piggles was a wanted man in Delft.”
HIT: Keenan Kruger shot rival skollie
The witness says he immediately called Ely who instructed him to pick up another skollie who would take him to a Terrible Joster living in Elsies River, Keenan “Kapadien” Kruger, who was prepared to kill Piggles.
The witness arranged another hitman known as “ Dagga Baas” and says after getting two guns, he dropped both hitmen at the railway line and waited for them to shoot Piggles in Leerdam Street.
He says Dagga Baas fired the first shot hitting Piggles in the arm, but it was Kapadien who emptied his gun on the rival skollie, who miraculously survived.
He told Judge Owen Rogers that several days later, Ely instructed him to go to Tygerberg Hospital to check on Piggles and “pull the plug on him”.
