Nearly four years after a horrific gang hit which was caught on camera, the Western Cape High Court has convicted three hitmen of the Junky Funky Kids gang for the murder.
In the shocking murder trial of Achmat Gaffoor, it was revealed that his own uncle, Shakoor, was one of the men who shot and killed him.
The shooting in May 2020 sparked outrage in Lavender Hill when footage showed a toddler walking into the frame as heartless skollies opened fire at close range on their target.
This came amid a bloody gang war between the Junky Funky Kids and Flakkas gangs in Lavender Hill, Hillview, Seawinds and surrounding communities.
Shakoor Gaffoor was found guilty along with Riedewan Cedras and Grandall Solomons for the murder, as well as for three counts of illegal possession of firearms and a count of illegal possession of ammunition.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says on the day of the murder the victim was walking with his friend, Eathan Schoeman.
The two tjommies were standing on the corner of St Blaise and St Barnard streets skarreling for money to buy dagga when they saw a grey hatchback vehicle pass by with a driver and three passengers.
Ntabazalila says: “Half an hour later, it returned with a passenger in the front seat.
“Schoeman testified that he felt uneasy when he saw the vehicle the second time and it stopped in front of them.
“The armed passengers, Gaffoor, Cedras and Solomons alighted, and he heard ‘hier is julle pappas’ and he and the deceased started running in different directions.
“They started shooting at them. He managed to run away but later returned and found his friend fatally shot.”
Ntabazalila says responding to Advocate Luzaan Williams. who led him during his evidence in chief, Schoeman confirmed that Gaffoor, Cedras and Solomons are members of the Junky Funky Kids (JFKs) gang which operates in Hill View, Cafda, Sea Winds, Lavender Hill in Steenberg.
The NPA official says: “He and his friends are members of the Flakka gang and the two gang groups are in a territorial war. Any gang member who sets foot in a rival gang area would be shot dead.”
Ntabazalila says although the incident happened early in the morning, was witnessed by people, and was caught on CCTV, the accused pleaded not guilty and tendered a plea explanation.
Shakoor denied being in the area when the shooting occurred and claimed he became aware of the incident when a friend informed him of the shooting.
He claimed he had spent the weekend with his parents in Melkbosstrand.
Cedras’ alibi was that he was with his mother in Grabouw, while Solomons told the court that he was with his girlfriend, Amanda Jacobs, his mother Lucy-Ann Solomons and his father Charles.
To prove her case, Williams called witnesses including the mother and aunt of the deceased, who are sisters of Shakoor, to testify against him. She also made use of the CCTV footage during the trial.
The case was postponed to 7 August for sentencing procedures to commence.