The court proceedings of the 20 alleged Terrible Josters gang members facing 200 criminal charges on Thursday were preceded by a bloody fight between the gang members in the holding cells at the Western Cape High Court.
Heavily armed police officers waiting in Court 1 for alleged gang leader Elton Lenting, 41, alias Koffi, and 19 other gang members were alerted by correctional officers about the brawl.
The police rushed down and rescued Lenting and Raymond Arendse, alias Muis, 32. Both sustained head injuries.
The defence lawyers for the accused complained to Judge Andre le Grange that no trial date had been set down.
The accused have been in jail for the past two years.
One of the legal representatives for the accused, Emile de Villiers, said: “Your honour along with the prosecution we all had a meeting with Judge President John Hlophe in August 2019. We are still waiting on the Judge President to appoint a judge.”
Judge Le Grange then ordered prosecutor Helena Booysen to arrange for a trial date. After a short adjournment Booysen informed the court that the trial would commence on May 19, next year.
The charges against the gang range from the contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, murder, attempted murder, drug possession and drug trafficking, intimidation, bribery, damage to property and selling drugs to school children.
Court papers also showed that the gang defended their territory and took out rival gangsters or drug dealers entering their turf.