Explosive court documents have revealed the inner workings of Cape Town’s underworld and nightclub security racket.
Shocking revelations were made at the appearance of alleged underworld kingpins Mark Lifman and Jerome “Donkie” Booysen who are set to go on trial at the Western Cape High Court next year for the murder of “Steroid King” Brian Wainstein.
The duo appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court yesterday along with 13 other men where they face over 30 charges relating to alleged activities of the 27s gang, including a plot to murder Donkie’s brother, Colin and Nafiz Modack.
According to the indictment, the rivalry dates back to 2016 when Lifman, Donkie, Colin and André Naudé established a “brotherhood” which oversaw all the bouncers at nightclubs.
It states that in May 2016, a violent altercation broke out between Colin and another person at a jol and he brought 27s gangsters, including alleged boss William “Red” Stevens, but later claimed Donkie had called in the gang.
This led to a split that was allegedly negotiated by Naudé and saw Colin leaving the brotherhood and joining Modack’s group.
The documents state that the duo started muscling in on Lifman and Donkie’s clubs, leading to a bitter feud which would result in years of attempted murder plots.
Alleged 27s gang boss “Red” Stevens then allegedly volunteered his gang members to take the clubs back by force from Modack and co.
Red allegedly sent taxis full of armed skollies into the City CBD on 8 April 2017 and the gang blocked streets as they visited Cubana, Coco Bar, Club 31, Mavericks and the Grand Café, and allegedly intimidated patrons and disrupted business on the night.
Red appeared in court last December and was released on R100 000 bail.
But a week before he was set to return to court, he was shot and killed outside his home in Kraaifontein.
The documents also state that in 2017, Lifman and Wainstein clashed over property and investments.
In July 2017, there was an attempt to murder Ralph Stanfield, who was an alleged associate of Wainstein’s.
But after the failed hit in which Stanfield was shot in his luxury Audi R8 in Johannesburg, Wainstein allegedly plotted to kill Lifman’s bodyguard in retaliation.
Wainstein was later shot and killed in his Constantia home.
During the trial, former Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) officer Sergeant Wayne Henderson is also expected to appear alongside Lifman and Donkie in the dock, standing accused of accepting a R100 000 bribe to conceal evidence in the Wainstein murder.
During the same month, Lifman and Naudé allegedly met to plot the murders of Modack, Colin, Carl Lakay, Jacques Cronjé, Ashley Fields, Emile Goodley and former Springbok rugby player James Dalton.
National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Eric Ntabazalila says the pre-trial hearing will be heard at the High Court on 6 August.