According to News24, the recent murder of underworld figure Mark Lifman has shaken the Cape Town security industry due to the alleged involvement of individuals tied to his own security company, Professional Protection Alternatives (PPA). Lifman was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Garden Route Mall by two men, Johan Hendrik Jacobs and Gert “Johnny” Bezuidenhout, who previously worked in security and had links to PPA. Both suspects, now charged with premeditated murder, were quickly apprehended by police after allegedly attempting to evade capture by changing their vehicle’s registration and appearance.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile described Jacobs as a highly trained former Special Task Force member, and authorities are still investigating potential motives behind the killing, with suspicions that Lifman may have known his killers. Lifman’s associates speculate that tension within the underworld and longstanding rivalries may have played a role in his death. The murder has raised concerns about power struggles among security and gang factions in Cape Town, with police ramping up efforts to prevent further violence.
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