Pretoria – The Acting Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Major General Mthandazo Ntlemeza has welcomed the sentence handed down by the Western Cape High Court on George “Geweld” Thomas.
On Wednesday, the court sentenced Thomas to seven life terms after he was found guilty of 53 charges, including seven murders.
Thomas, 49, was the leader of the Bishop Lavis faction of the 28s gang which was highly organised with members assigned different tasks.
It took five years for the Western Cape’s biggest gang-related case to be finalised,
The trial saw 11 witnesses being killed and the other 13 witnesses with their 18 dependents had to be placed under witness protection.
Thomas’ 16 co-accused were also found guilty of charges ranging from murder, attempted murder, racketeering, illegal possession of ammunition, extortion and conspiracy to commit offences.
Ntlemeza praised the investigating team at the conclusion of the case, saying their resilience and dedication was evident that no stone will be left unturned in the quest to restore justice.
“This sentence proves that we have investigators who are more than equal to any task. The length of the trials is testament to the reality that it was a difficult case to crack, but our members toiled tirelessly to bring perpetrators to book.
“I congratulate the investigators and encourage them to keep up the good work. Their hard does not go unnoticed,” Ntlemeza said. – SAnews.gov.za
