Cape Town - The South African Sentenced and Awaiting Trial Prisoners Organisation (Sasapo) said six newly-sentenced members of Cape Town’s notorious Terrible Josters gang were transferred to a faraway prison, out of reach of their families.
The gangsters were sentenced in the Western Cape High Court last week.
Sasapo chairperson Phindile Zweni said the six were transferred to the Kokstad C Max Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal without the knowledge of their families.
However, Correctional Services provincial commissioner Delekile Klaas said the department does not discuss details of where offenders are held and the reasons why.
After the Cape Argus requested more information from Klaas, he said: “We are therefore unable to assist you with your query.”
The gang in question had been accused of a number of murders of high profile members of rival gangs, including the killing of Victor “Fox” Browers, an alleged high ranking member of the 28s gang.
Last month, Judge Owen Rogers found Horatio “Voudie” Solomons, Ismail Ockerts, Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Safodien, Keenan Kruger/and Lucian Consul, guilty on a range of charges, while Elton Ely, Brian Fieghland, Brent Campbell, Bradley Roberts, Lezay Booysen and Ishmaeel Ockerts were acquitted.
The State alleged that Solomons and Ely were leaders of the Terrible Josters gang in the Delft and Belhar areas, respectively.
Zweni said Sasapo would like to know from the department why and under what circumstances those inmates were transferred to Kokstad.
“We call upon the department to place these inmates at Pollsmoor, close to their families, as this is really against the very same Correctional Services Act,” he said.
During sentencing, Judge Rogers said that Solomons and Ockerts expressed no remorse for their actions, and continued to protest their innocence - adamantly denying being members of the Terrible Josters.
Rogers sentenced Solomons to life imprisonment, plus 21 years and eight months, while Ockerts was sentenced to life imprisonment, plus 23 years and 10 months.
Constable was sentenced to 26 years, Safodien was sentenced to 25 years, Kruger was sentenced to two life terms plus 33 years and six months, and Consul was sentenced to one life term plus 56 years. Kruger and Consul were deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Cape Argus