The George Magistrate’s Court denied bail to Johannes Jacobs and Gert Bezuidenhout, the two suspects charged with the premeditated murder of Cape Town underworld figure Mark Lifman.
George court throws out bail for alleged Mark Lifman killers
On Friday, presiding Magistrate André Aucamp ruled that granting bail would not be in the interest of justice, citing a lack of exceptional circumstances.
Lifman, 57, was shot dead on 3 November 2024, in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall in George.
He was struck by five bullets while walking towards his blue Ford Raptor. A car guard who testified during the bail hearing recounted the chilling moment he heard Lifman scream “No!” before the shots were fired.
The suspects were arrested near Uniondale shortly after the murder. State prosecutors revealed CCTV footage allegedly showing the pair at a nearby farm, changing the license plates of a VW Polo reportedly used in the crime.
The murder weapon, however, has not been recovered.
Both Jacobs and Bezuidenhout pleaded not guilty, pledging to abide by strict bail conditions, including surrendering their passports.
The court was unmoved by their assurances, and the case has been postponed to 20 February 2025, with authorities awaiting cellphone data and ballistic reports to further their investigation.
Was Lifman on the cusp of unravelling the Cape underworld?
Lifman’s murder has sent shockwaves through Cape Town’s underworld, where he was a polarising figure.
At the time of his death, Lifman was out on bail and facing nine charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and violations of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
One of the key trials he was expected to testify in concerned the 2017 murder of Brian Wainstein, an international steroid smuggler.
Wainstein, dubbed the “steroid king,” was killed in his Constantia home while asleep next to his family.
Prosecutors alleged that Lifman masterminded the killing due to disputes over investments and property dealings.
The trial was set to begin the day after Lifman’s murder, a timing that has raised questions about whether his death was meant to silence him.
With his passing, critical details about Cape Town’s organised crime networks may remain buried.