Mark Lifman, an alleged underworld figure from Cape Town, was shot dead last Sunday in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall in George.
He was 57.
Reportedly, Lifman was lured to the location.
He arrived without his usual security, leaving him vulnerable to an attack.
His death raises questions about power struggles within Cape Town’s criminal underworld.
The incident happened a day before he was set to testify in a high-profile court case.
Who was Mark Lifman?
According to the Cape Argus, Lifman received a call to meet at the mall, which led to his murder.
Known for various alleged criminal activities, he was under investigation for several high-profile cases.
This included the murder of the notorious steroid dealer, Brian Wainstein.
At the time, Lifman was out on bail, facing charges of murder, conspiracy, and organised crime.
His decision to arrive alone at the mall has raised questions about the circumstances of his death.
Lifman’s history of violence and legal issues
Mark Lifman’s alleged involvement in violence stretches back several years.
His career is marked by murders and fierce power struggles in Cape Town’s criminal underworld.
In 2017, he was accused of orchestrating Wainstein’s murder over business disputes, allegedly offering a reward of R250 000.
Lifman was also linked to a failed hit on Ralph Stanfield, leader of the 28s gang, reportedly offering R500 000 for the ‘job’ to be carried out.
Growing underworld rivalries
Lifman’s legal troubles began in 2005 when he faced child sexual assault accusations.
He was acquitted in 2009.
In 2011, he and associate Andre Naude were charged with running an unregistered security firm.
However, charges were dropped in 2015.
Over time, tensions escalated with rivals like Nafiz Modack, particularly over Cape Town’s contested nightclub security scene.
The ‘Brotherhood’ and its collapse
In 2016, Mark Lifman and associates like Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysen and Naude formed an alliance known as the ‘Brotherhood.’
The group aimed to control Cape Town’s nightlife security industry.
However, the alliance quickly fractured.
Jerome’s brother, Colin Booysen, eventually joined forces with Modack.
This shift sparked violent confrontations, with Lifman allegedly funding hits against his rivals.
Bitter rivalry with Modack
In the years before Lifman’s death, his feud with Modack grew more intense.
Both allegedly used high-ranking police connections to gain influence.
Lifman reportedly placed a R20 million bounty on Modack’s life, highlighting the animosity between the two.
This feud may have foreshadowed Lifman’s violent end.
Lifman’s final days
Days before his death, Mark Lifman was embroiled in a legal dispute.
He was pursuing a property from Randolf Jorberg, former Beerhouse owner, amid a defamation case.
Criminologist Simon Howell notes that Lifman’s murder exposes the instability of Cape Town’s underworld, where betrayal and violence are ever-present threats.
Was Mark Lifman’s death the end of the power struggle in Cape Town’s underworld?
Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
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