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The Terrible Josters are one of the Cape’s most notorious and feared gangs, and have boasted about having more than 10 000 members dotted across the Western Cape in years gone by.

Yesterday, the gang was dealt a serious blow when one of the leaders, Horatio “Voudie” Solomon, was sentenced to life imprisonment, along with his so-called right-hand man, Ismael Ockerts.

Despite the fact that Solomon never actually pulled the trigger in the 2017 murder of Vernon Botes, Judge Owen Rogers ruled that he was just as responsible as those that did.

Solomon and Ockerts were found guilty of murder, along with the attempted murder of Herbert du Plooy, drug dealing, and taking part in gang-related activities.

The Daily Maverick reporting below:

Rogers found on Monday that the murder of Botes and the attempted murder of Du Plooy had been planned and premeditated, and that it had been committed by two or more people acting with common purpose.

Neither Solomon nor Ockerts had expressed any remorse for their actions

“They continued to protest their innocence. As far as I know, they still deny having belonged to the Terrible Josters. The absence of remorse is not an aggravating factor, though its presence, if genuine, might have been a mitigating factor,” said Rogers.

The men knew what they were doing was criminal and had to be held accountable.

Fellow Terrible Josters members Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Safodien, Keenan Kruger, and Lucian Consul were also sentenced, with the latter two receiving life sentences.

Whilst he wasn’t sentenced, Solomon’s uncle, Ernie “Lastig” Solomon, was also implicated during testimony given by a former gang member who is now in witness protection.

You may recall that name from a failed hit that took place back in May, when Ernie and his son were shot in Hawston, Hermanus.

The gang’s legal woes are far from over, too:

The conclusion of Solomon’s trial now paves the way for the Western Cape High Court to begin the trial of alleged Terrible Josters gang leader Elton Lenting, 41, alias Koffi, and 19 other gang members.

This second group faces more than 100 charges, ranging from the contravention of POCA, murder, attempted murder, drug possession and dealing in drugs, bribery, damage to property and selling drugs to schoolchildren.

Members of communities that have lived under the shadow of gang violence for far too long will be hoping that case also ends in lengthy sentences, although the Josters are just one gang among many.

Even the fear of legal retribution will do little to make members rethink their allegiance, especially when you consider the “blood in, blood out” membership policy.

In other words, getting out is no small feat.

[source:dailymav]