In explosive testimony at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, a former member of the Terrible Josters gang outlined how the murders of two people allegedly linked to suspected Sexy Boys gang boss, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, were orchestrated.
This, he claims, was in retaliation for the murder of underworld figure, Cyril Beeka, for which Ernest “Ernie Lastig” Solomon believed Donkie was responsible.
The 204 witness claims Ernie Lastig ordered the deaths of Donkie’s “hitman” and “son”.
Cop sources say after Beeka’s murder in 2011, one of his alleged hitmen, Sexy Boys member Leon “Lyons” Davids, went into a witness protection programme but later opted to leave.
Jerome “Donkie” Booysen. Picture supplied
Giving testimony against 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, the witness has lifted the lid on gang murders and retaliation attacks carried out by the Terrible Josters gang.
He claims two years after the murder of Beeka, Ely instructed him and another hitman to kill “Donkie’s hitman”, Davids, on 6 October 2013, after information surfaced that he had returned to Belhar and was living in the Kerrie Flats.
He says the order came directly from Ernie Lastig, aka “Die Ou”.
He says they went to the area known as the Kerrie Flats, but could not find Davids and did not carry out the hit.
The witness alleges three days later, Voudie instructed Ismail and Booysen to carry out the hit while Ishmaeel drove the get-away car.
Davids had been with a group of friends at Bloemendal Avenue in Belhar at 6.20pm when two unidentified men approached him and opened fire.
Several months later, the witness says, Ely came to his home in Belhar and handed him a gun saying it was “for any Sexy Boy”.
He says on 22 July 2014, he sent two laaities to check who were standing at a popular spot for the Sexy Boys.
He then called Ely and told him that Neano Kleynhans, whom he said was not a gangster, was standing at the palletjies.
Lezay Booysen told to carry out the hit. Picture supplied
“He told me to shoot Neano as he is the son of either Colin or Jerome Booysen.”
But the witness says he warned Neano to leave Belhar, then faked shooting him by opening fire on an empty field.
“I knew he wasn’t related to the Booysens, but when I said that to Accused 5 he said I was talking k@k.”
He claims another member of the Terrible Josters shot and killed Neano the same night.
The case continues.
monique.duval@inl.co.za