Cycles of violence linked to control of the night-time economy Since the 1990s, the nightlife sector in the CBD has experienced several cycles of violence, linked to the rise of various criminal actors and their desire to assert dominance and control (see the timeline below). [...] According to the indictment, a meeting took place at the home of William ‘Red’ Stevens (an alleged leader of the 27s gang) in Kraaifontein to discuss the attempts by the new Modack group to take over the CBD, and Lifman’s desire to regain control by force. [...] The company’s managers called the police, and when the officers arrived, they allegedly negotiated the price for the release of the vehicles down from R5 000 to R2 500 per vehicle, without any arrests being made.74 From hitmen and henchmen to influential taxi bosses Henchmen, the enforcers responsible for carrying out threats and violence, are a feature of the taxi industry nationally, and the sec. [...] The cycle of firearms and extortion is similar to the cycle of firearms and drugs in Cape Town and other parts of the country.101 30 Extortion generates money with which to buy illicit firearms. [...] With the exception of the Lifman and Makalala cases, the state has opposed bail and the accused are currently in custody pending the conclusion of their trials.
- Pages
- 48
- Published in
- Switzerland
