Mark Lifman’s alleged killers make first court appearance

Two men arrested for the murder of underworld kingpin Mark Lifman appeared in the George Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Lifman was gunned down in a parking lot of a mall in the Southern Cape town of George, Western Cape, on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Johannes Jacobs and Gert Bezuidenhout were charged with Lifman’s murder after their Sunday arrest.

Gert Bezuidenhout and Johannes ‘Johnny’ Jacobs made their first appearance in court on Tuesday, where they were seen wearing hoodies in the dock.

During court proceedings on Tuesday morning the duo asked to be held in solitary confinement as their case was postponed to November 13 for bail information hearing.

The incident on Sunday sent shockwaves through Cape Town as many questioned who was behind the murder of the controversial businessman from Fresnaye.

At the time it was revealed that Lifman was allegedly lured to his death after receiving a call to go to the Garden Route Mall in George where he arrived without his bodyguards.

The gunmen, driving a white VW Polo, shot Lifman and fled the scene. Video footage has subsequently surfaced and show that they changed the licence plates before they were arrested in Uniondale in the Western Cape.

At the time police spokesperson, Colonel Andre Traut confirmed the arrests, saying: “In collaborative efforts to respond to crime and arrest perpetrators thereof, two suspects were questioned and are now charged with the murder of a 57-year-old man outside the Garden Route Mall in George.

“The pair, aged 37 and 53 were apprehended near Uniondale on Sunday afternoon and the vehicle they were travelling in was also confiscated. Their arrest follows a shooting incident that left the 57-year-old dead,” he said.

“After the suspects fled the crime scene, police, law enforcement officials, security companies and crime watch groups were activated to be on the lookout for the suspects in the region. As a consequence, the pair was arrested a couple of hours later.”

Cape Argus