A bandiet from Hanover Park took to the stand at the Western Cape High Court to piemp a rival gang member as the gunman who killed his friend.
Ché Dames, a self-proclaimed member of the Ghetto Kids gang, was testifying in the murder trial of Gift of the Givers volunteer Ameerodien Noordien, 19.
Ameerodien died in Surwood Walk on 5 October 2018 after coming under fire while walking to a winkel.
His death sparked widespread cries for police intervention and, within days, Police Minister Bheki Cele deployed his new Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) in the area and Adrian Carelse and Raydin Lekuta were busted.
The duo face multiple charges including murder, attempted murder and firearm-related charges.
According to the indictment, Carelse carried out various hits for the Americans gang aimed at taking out members of the Ghetto Kids gang.
Dames, who is currently being held at Pollsmoor Prison for a different case, told the court that two days after Ameerodien was killed, he was suiping beers with his friends when Carelse walked by and fired shots at them.
During the shooting, Austin Felix was hit and later died at Hanover Park Day Hospital.
Sitting in the dock holding a red peak cap showing “26” gang tjappies on his fingers, Dames denied claims by Carelse’s lawyer that he too was carrying a firearm on the day Felix died.
“I did not have a gun, he came to us and started shooting and I ran away.
“There was a red car with Correctional Services people inside and I got a get [escape],” he testified.
He said moments after the shooting, he was arrested by cops who accused him of opening fire on the officers from Correctional Services.
“He was shooting at me and I don’t know if his bullet hit their car.
“I was arrested because the boere said I shot them... I was inside for nine months on that case and when we went to Wynberg Regional Court, they withdrew the case against me because they didn’t find any gun residue on me.”
The bandiet hit back at Carelse’s lawyer in the cross-examination saying there was no evidence that he had a firearm, and pointed straight at Carelse, pointing him out as the killer.
Carelse’s lawyer also raised the ballistics report claiming three different bullets were found inside Felix’s body but was contradicted when the state prosecutor pointed out that Felix had been shot on two different occasions before he died and the bullets were still inside his body.
“This is what we call the dangers of the occupation.
“He had one new bullet inside of him, the others were old,” said the prosecutor as the courtroom chuckled.