Gang leader guilty of seven murders

Alleged 28’s gang leader George ‘Geweld’ Thomas was found guilty yesterday by the Western Cape High Court of killing seven people. A Netwerk24 report notes he had initially faced 19 murder charges. The verdict was delivered after Judge Chantel Fortuin spent several days reading out the 800-page judgment against Thomas and his 18 co-accused. He was also convicted of five counts of racketeering under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, which included the management of a criminal gang, participation in a criminal enterprise and incitement to commit an offence related to criminal activities. According to Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato, Thomas was found guilty of a total of 53 charges, which included attempted murder and unlawful possession of firearms, and his co-accused were all found guilty of various charges. Plato said these convictions should be used as a model case of how to ensure gangsters were removed from the streets and held responsible for crimes. The case was postponed until Tuesday.