Cape Town - He might be off the streets and behind bars, but even from inside a prison cell infamous gang boss George “Geweld” Thomas is still a great threat.
Of the 53 charges against him, two were for the murder of a pair of State witnesses while the gangster was incarcerated.
Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato lauded the conviction of Thomas and his 18 co-accused which was delivered in the form of an 800-page verdict by Judge Chantal Fortuin on Thursday.
He said it was a step in the right direction, adding: “There is a long road ahead but by working better together towards safety, as society as a whole, we are able to rid our streets of those who choose to act in defiance of the law.”
However, he was all too aware of the influence many inmates still wielded from prison.
“The thousands of phone calls that have been made from within prisons raise serious concerns about prisoners’ access to and impact on the communities outside of jail as well as serious questions around the possible involvement of the various authorities tasked with working with prisoners,” Plato said on Friday morning.
He added that the investigation of cases of corruption behind bars and monitoring of wardens’ activities would go a long way towards curbing the outside influences of criminals.
“What the ‘Geweld’ case makes clear is that we need to look at all aspects of the criminal justice system which can assist in leading to a conviction. We need to ensure that we build a united front to help and protect communities even while in jail.”
Thomas’s case has dragged on for over five years. Two of his co-accused were acquitted in 2013 and were later found dead. They were both indicted for murder.
Thomas was on Thursday found guilty of seven murders, including two that took place while he was in prison.
Some of the other offences against Thomas include three attempted murder charges, 10 of incitement of others to commit offences, 11 charges of unlawful possession of firearms and two of racketeering.
His co-accused were all found guilty on charges including murder, illegal possessionof ammunition and extortion.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the conviction, and spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said the prosecution’s case was the biggest presented at the Western Cape High Court.
The State called more that 70 witnesses.
Over the course of five years, the trial had been complicated by a number of incidents including 19 murders and 27 attempted murders, Ntabazalila said.
“This case was not only complicated by the number of incidents and the number of accused, but a racketeering prosecution is normally based on financial gain as the main objective of the enterprise/gang, such as drug dealing or housebreakings, while in this case it in essence was more about a passion for power and violence than financial gain. There was thus no paper trail to assist the investigations.”
Ntabazalila said the matter would be back in court for sentencing on Tuesday.
Earlier this year, the High Court sentenced 14 members of the Junior Cisko Yakkies gang to 20 years in cases dating back to 2013.
The conviction was the result of an extensive investigation that also saw several Correctional Services officials arrested.
The murder of a Worcester prison inmate in 2013 led officials to uncover a network of gangsters who were operating from within the confines of incarceration.
The investigation led police to arrest the alleged leader of the Junior Cisko Yakkies, Mark Petersen, and other alleged high-ranking gang members.
It forms part of the ongoing Operation Combat - the Western Cape police team tasked with clamping down on gangsterism and organised crime.
Last year, the alleged leader of the Fancy Boys gang in Atlantis, Mallick Petersen, received three life terms, while his 15 co-accused were jailed for offences ranging from possession of illegal firearms, to dealing in drugs and murder. Some of the offences dated as far back as 2004.
Plato said he had been calling for specialised gang and drug units to be reinstated since 2011 “as these units possess the necessary resources and expertise to investigate thoroughly and make concrete arrests which lead to convictions in court”.
The MEC said he would intensify these calls in light of the latest conviction of Thomas.
Cape Argus