Cape Town - The sentencing of four gangsters from the “Ama don’t care” gang, who held the Ravensmead community in the grips of fear after extorting and killing a man, his grandchild and later a witness in 2019, has been welcomed in the hope that it will send a strong message to other would-be criminals.
Members of the gang arrived at a residence in Geranium Street, Uitsig, on March 25, 2019, with the intention to extort the resident.
They returned the next day for more protection money, but the resident resisted their actions.
Later in the day, the suspects returned to the house, firing gunshots at the victim, fatally wounding Christopher Cornelius and his four-year-old grandchild, Likeshia Joubert.
On April 7, 2019, the only witness, Glenda Ruiters, was also shot dead at Erica Road, while her daughter escaped unscathed when the gang members shot at her in a bid to kill her with her mother.
Dawnay Davids received twenty years for the murders of Cornelius and Joubert, plus five years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlicensed ammunition respectively.
Mahlubandile Jacobs received two life sentences for Cornelius and his grandchild’s murder, plus 10 and 12 years respectively for an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Moegamat Swarts received 25 years for the murder of Ruiters and 10 years for the attempted murder of her daughter.
Vincent Davids was also sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder and Ruiters.
The investigating officer attached to the Anti-Gang unit was lauded by provincial police for his commitment to bring the perpetrators to book, despite facing a “massive onslaught from the defence lawyers in a bid to derail him”.
Ravensmead Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, Johannes Bastian, said they were glad there was justice for the family.
“The CPF is also very thankful to the president for the Anti-Gang Unit, for without the unit the community would live in fear because of the shortage of police personnel and vehicles.
“Ama don’t care gang is still operational according to our sources in the Uitsig and Malawi Camp, and extortion is definitely still ongoing by other gangs as well.
“The members of the community are civilians, they don’t carry firearms and a lot of them only have a social grant income and are scared to testify for us. It is totally understandable.”
The CPFs crime-fighting plans included installing surveillance cameras, increasing neighbourhood watch members and making use of technology like social media WhatsApp and Facebook.
Community activist from the Helping Others Obtain Dignity (Hood) organisation, Bishop Adam Alexander, said residents welcomed the sentence.
“These men were creating fear in our community and they thought they would get away with it by killing the witness. They try to escape the law by killing witnesses. Glenda was a friend of mine, we attended church together, she was a crime fighter who would call out criminals without fear or favour” he said.
Cape Times