Cape Town - While a fresh wave of gang warfare rocks the Western Cape, alleged senior leader of the 28s gang Ernie “Lastig” Solomons has “skipped” the country, bound for Cannes for one of the most glamorous events on the world’s social calendar.
Solomons, best known for allegedly controlling South Africa’s lucrative abalone trade, is headed for France for the Cannes Film Festival, where he will promote his film, A Lucky Man.
Before flying out to Paris on Wednesday, Solomons told Weekend Argus he had had nothing to do with the recent attacks on two gang pastors, the late Albern Martins and Ivan Waldeck, who survived the attack.
Solomons often accompanied Martins, who was shot dead in March, and Waldeck, who was shot and injured last Friday, while the pastors tried to preach peace among warring factions across Cape Town.
Solomons, a gangster turned actor, has admitted to alliances with alleged fellow 28s gang member George “Geweld” Thomas, and Colin Booysen, who was shot and injured last Wednesday. Booysen is allegedly a co-leader of the Sexy Boys gang, based in Belhar.
Before he left for France, Solomons confirmed he had visited Booysen, who was “doing okay in hospital”.
Of another recent attack, on alleged 26s gang leader William Gouws, who was shot and killed in front of the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court last Friday, Solomons said he had offered his condolences to Gouws’s family.
“He was not a ‘gemors’ (rubbish). He was a human being,” Solomons said.
Returning to the purpose of his visit to Cannes, Solomons said this would not be his first visit to promote his film, currently being shown in South Africa.
He was in Cannes earlier this year, where he met film fundis from South Africa and across the world.
His visit to Cannes to attend the pre-screenings for the festival earlier this year was his first overseas trip. It also gave him the opportunity to touch snow for the first time in his life.
This time in Cannes, he said, he was keen to meet more South African film experts, since that had been the most amazing part of his previous experience in the French Riviera city.
Weekend Argus