More than four years after the assassination of well-known Cape Flats criminal lawyer, Vernon Jantjies, the Daily Voice can reveal that the names of the alleged killers are known to police.
Jantjies, who was a senior advocate and former Magistrate at the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court, was shot and killed on 1 December 2019 at the BP garage in Lentegeur.
He was at the filling station with a relative when two gunmen shot him 11 times.
New information leaked to the Daily Voice has revealed that detectives had traced the getaway car allegedly used in the hit.
When questioned, the occupants claimed they were merely at the garage to buy petrol worth R20 and had also stopped to buy Mandrax pille and other drugs, but denied being the killers. The source also revealed that more than 10 witnesses had submitted statements to police and that two gunmen opened fire on him.
Two hours before he was shot and killed, Jantjies had visited the home of a known high-ranking gang boss, who told cops he had no intention of harming him, and even gave him crayfish.
A key witness in the case, who cannot be identified, gave police a blow-by-blow account of the incident. He said Jantjies was seen standing and talking with an individual when a grey Toyota Corolla came to a standstill.
He said he watched how a gunman dressed in dark coloured clothing got out of the right back seat of the vehicle and opened fire on Jantjies.
He added that a second person got out on the left back seat and fired two shots at Jantjies.
A second victim had also been shot and was treated for their injuries.
Police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk, however, says there are no new leads in the case and did not comment on whether or not there had been arrests.
He told the Daily Voice: “In response to your media enquiry, kindly be advised that the matter you are referring to [the murder] is still ongoing. There are no new developments to report and no arrests have been made yet.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) did not respond to questions.
Jantjies was the lawyer of Glenda Bird, the sister of drug kingpin Fadwaan “Vet” Murphy, who died of cancer while facing criminal charges at the Western Cape High Court.
Murphy was sentenced to 18 years in the mang last week for various charges, while his ex-wife Shafieka was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
Jantjies’ family declined to comment on the new information.
Jantjies was killed three years after the murder of well-known Advocate Noorudien Hassan, who was gunned down in his car outside his home in Lansdowne in November 2016.
The Daily Voice also approached Hassan’s brother for comment, but he did not respond to queries.
Last year, Sizwe Biyela, Nkosinathi Khumalo and Vuyile Maliti were found guilty of the 2018 murder of lawyer Pete Mihalik, who was shot while dropping his laaities at school in Green Point.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sergeant Bradley Schuurman on 071 673 3841 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.