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Lengthy sentences for leaders and members of Terrible Josters gang

Six members of gang which terrorised Cape Town's Delft put behind bars

Aron Hyman Reporter
Horatio “Voudie” Solomons, who ran the Terrible Josters gang that terrorised the community of Delft, was sentenced on Monday, along with his alleged right-hand man and four others.
Horatio “Voudie” Solomons, who ran the Terrible Josters gang that terrorised the community of Delft, was sentenced on Monday, along with his alleged right-hand man and four others.
Image: 123RF/Allan Swart

Horatio “Voudie” Solomons, who as head of the Terrible Josters ran a gang which terrorised the Cape Town community of Delft, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday.

Ismael Ockerts, described as Solomon’s right-hand man, was also given a life sentence.

The two were found guilty of murdering Vernon Botes and attempting to murder Herbert du Plooy. They were also convicted of drug dealing and for taking part in gang activities. It was found that they committed these crimes in furtherance of the Terrible Josters' activities.

“I have found that the murder was premeditated and planned, and that it was committed by two or more people acting in the execution or furtherance of a common purpose,” read the judgment, handed down two weeks ago.

“The prescribed minimum sentence on the murder count is life imprisonment, unless there are substantial and compelling circumstances to impose a lesser sentence.”

The court ruled earlier this year that the names of officers of the court may not be published for safety reasons.

For their other crimes, Solomon and Ockerts were given additional 21-year and 23-year sentences, respectively.

Their fellow gang members Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Safodien, Keenan Kruger and Lucian Consul were also sentenced.

Constable was sentenced to an effective 11 years for the attempted murder of Brandon “Mablou” Dickson and Liam Andreas — who was six at the time — in a daylight hit intended to kill Dickson. His sentence runs concurrently with sentences for the possession of firearms and ammunition.

Safodien was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment after he was found guilty on two counts of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Kruger and Consul were both handed life sentences for the murders of George Stevens and Victor Browers and the attempted murder of Shaakirah Undre.

Their lawyers told TimesLIVE that they would be appealing the convictions.

TimesLIVE

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