Cape Town - Cape Flats residents are said to be living in fear following the murder of Ernest “Lastig” Solomon on Friday.
Sources said Solomon, an alleged former leader of the 28s gang, was associated with another gang, the Terrible Josters, and some residents feared there could be “repercussions”.
Solomon was killed in Boksburg, Gauteng after two armed men opened fire on his BMW.
Three other occupants, including a 5-year-old child were injured and airlifted to hospital.
Police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela said no one had yet been arrested. “The two adults who were injured are in a critical condition in hospital while the child is stable,” Makhubela said.
Six months ago, Solomon and his son survived an alleged hit outside his nightclub in Hawston. He was shot five times in the stomach and his son was admitted to intensive care.
A third man who was with them was killed.
According to some reports, Solomon was in Johannesburg under witness protection.
Solomon’s nephew Horatio “Voudie” Solomon, the leader of the Terrible Josters, and other senior figures were handed life sentences in the Western Cape High Court on October 18 for charges including murder, attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.
During the trial, the court heard that the gang had more than 10 000 members and operated largely in Delft, Wesbank, Elsies River, Belhar and Kleinmond,
Another source said now that the “senior leadership” of the gang was in prison, there would be “jostling for power” which could lead to more killings.
The murder of Solomon comes two months after the assassination of Anti-Gang Unit detective Lieutenant-General Charl Kinnear outside his home in Bishop Lavis.
Kinnear was investigating a gun racket scam which implicated alleged underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack and Gauteng officers.
One of the sources said the police investigation into Solomon’s murder should not be treated in isolation to “what has been unravelled by the Kinnear investigation”.
Makhubela said at this stage the investigation into the murder of Solomon (whose body is set to be officially identified by family members tomorrow) was not linked to any other cases currently being investigated.
“We are not linking the investigation to any others at this stage,” Makhubela said.