Cape Town - Police are probing the death of alleged underworld kingpin Mark Lifman who was gunned down in a hail of bullets at a shopping mall in George on Sunday.
The shooting of the 57-year-old businessman from Fresnaye sent tongues wagging on social media as Capetonians speculated about who could have been behind the hit on the man at the centre of a mammoth High Court trial and underworld clashes.
According to a Cape Argus source the hitmen were armed with assault rifles and opened fire in broad daylight as Lifman walked through the Garden Route Mall parking lot to his Ford Ranger bakkie.
“They were driving a white VW Golf with cloned number plates. He was walking and they went towards him and shot about five shots and he died on the scene.
“They raced off and cops became aware of the number plate and started tracking the vehicle. This is when they caught the two white males in Uniondale. It is unclear at this stage if there were more people involved but at the time of his death he had no bodyguards around him,” said the source.
One of Lifman’s closest friends, Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysen, was emotional as the news broke on Sunday, saying the shooting had left him baffled.
“I really can’t talk. I know he goes to play golf in George but he would never go alone. I am confused about why he had no bodyguards,” he explained.
Police spokesperson Andre Traut confirmed the shooting and said: “Western Cape SAPS responded to a shooting incident this morning at around 11.30am outside the Garden Route Mall in George where a 57-yearold man was killed by unknown assailants who fled the scene.
“The circumstances of the incident are now the subject of a police investigation, and more information cannot be disclosed at this stage.The identity of the victim is yet to be released by SAPS,” said Traut.
Police have yet to confirm arrests. Lifman was killed just a day before he was set to return to the Western Cape High Court where along with Booysen he is currently facing an array of charges including murder.
The duo were arrested alongside slain 27s gang boss, William ‘Red’ Stevens several years ago for the murder of slain steroid king Brian Wainstein but Stevens was shot and killed near his home on Kraaifontein before the trial could commence.
The 57-year-old man from Fresnaye was catapulted into the limelight several years ago amid several clashes over nightclub security in Cape Town.
According to court papers the charges levelled against Booysen and Lifman follows a fallout in the underworld ‘brotherhood’.
According to the state’s case Jerome, his brother Colin, Lifman and Andre Naude had formed the brotherhood, focusing on nightclub security in Cape Town which oversaw all the bouncers at clubs.
It states that in May 2016 a violent altercation broke out between Colin and another person at Coco Bar and Colin complained that his own brother had brought 27s gang members, including alleged boss William “Red” Stevens into the brotherhood. This allegedly caused tensions within the group and its eventual split.
The split was allegedly negotiated by Naude with Colin leaving the brotherhood and allegedly joining the Nafiz Modack grouping. The documents state that the duo started taking over clubs from Lifman and Donkie leading to a bitter rivalry which would result in years of attempted murder plots.
The documents state that in the same year Lifman was in conflict with Wainstein over property and investments.
In July 2017 there was a failed attempt to murder alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, who was an alleged associate of Wainstein. The state alleges that Wainstein believed Lifman was behind the botched hit and planned to murder one of his bodyguards in retaliation.
The news of Lifman’s death was shared by his latest foe Randolf Jorberg who took to social media to inform his followers that ‘Mark is History’.
Last week the Cape Argus revealed that Lifman had obtained a draft court from the Western Cape High Court to attach a Green Point property owned by the former Beer House owner amid an ongoing R1 million defamation claim.
Court papers show that Lifman had also made an application calling on the court to allow the notice to be served on Jorberg via WhatsApp as he is not in the country.
Tensions between the two reached boiling point this year when Lifman’s attorneys warned that he would seek damages of R500 000 amid social media claims by Jorberg linking Lifman to various crimes such as the murder of his doorman several years ago. This amount has now increased to R1 million.
The owner of the popular eatery on Long Street claimed he was forced to shut down his business amid extortion-related issues.
In August this year Jorberg spoke to media outlets claiming his restaurant and several others on Long Street were hit hard by extortionists who allegedly demanded protection fees.
He said he was approached by a man who pitched him a proposal for the fees which Jorberg refused to pay, until a few days after an employee was murdered.
Thirty-two-year-old bouncer Joe Kanyona was stabbed in the neck at Beerhouse on June 20, 2015.
Earlier this year Jorberg was featured on Carte Blanche where he directed blame towards Lifman for the murder. In letters written by Lifman’s attorneys they slam Jorberg’s comments where he admits that he had no direct evidence linking Lifman to the murder.
“I don’t have factual evidence as in a sworn statement by the hitman that he was ordered by Mark Lifman. I was never given an option that there could be anyone else behind it,” Jorberg said.
In his application Lifman said this was proof that Jorberg had no actual evidence but still levels serious allegations.
Lifman’s legal teams also highlighted a series of social media posts saying it was defamatory and called on him to issue a public apology before 4 September.
Lifman’s attorneys attached information saying the property was worth R5.6 million at the time of purchase but Jorberg told the Cape Argus that he never had the property valued.
In a series of court papers obtained by the Cape Argus it was found that according to a draft order by Judge Nobahle Mangcu-Lockwood the sheriff was directed to effect the attachment of the property as part of the civil proceedings being undertaken by Lifman.
However, according to the notice from the sheriff he attempted to serve the notice but was informed the owner lived in Germany.
According to Lifman’s legal team they were contacted by Jorberg, prior to receiving any confirmation of Lifman’s death, enquiring if his case was now closed. His counsel would not comment any further. In a subsequent voice note sent to the media late on Sunday Jorberg said he was not surprised at the murder.
“I want to say that I am not surprised that he has been murdered today. Years ago I was told this was the most likely outcome. I was hoping he would survive and see his day in court,” Jorberg wrote.
argusnews@inl.co.za