Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Vincent Cruywagen and Samane Jnr Marks
Published on 2024-03-19 19:53:18
In a shocking twist of events, a member of the Terrible West Siders (TWS) gang testified in the Western Cape Division of the High Court that alleged underworld figure Nafiz Modack ordered a hit on Nico Heerschap, who at the time was a Hawks officer. However, in a tragic case of mistaken identity, Nico’s father, Nicolaas Heerschap, aged 74, was the one who was murdered instead of the intended target.
This testimony came as the State’s first witness, identified only as “Mr A” to protect his identity, provided details in the trial of individuals charged with the murders of Heerschap, Anti-Gang Unit Lieutenant Colonel Charl Kinnear, tow truck driver Richard Joseph, and the attempted murder of attorney William Booth.
The incident occurred on 9 July 2019 in Melkbosstrand, outside of Cape Town, where Heerschap was shot dead while reversing his Toyota Land Cruiser to take his grandchild to school. At that time, Nico Heerschap was investigating Modack, which raises suspicions about the motive behind the hit.
Modack and his 14 co-accused are facing a total of 124 charges, including murder, attempted murder, corruption, gangsterism, extortion, illegal interception of communications, money laundering, and violation of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The premeditated nature of the hit was detailed by Mr A in his testimony, where Moegamat Toufeeq Brown, the alleged leader of the TWS gang, orchestrated the murder plan. Mr A revealed that he was approached by TWS members and informed about the mission, which involved taking out someone for monetary gain.
The day before the murder, Brown, Kelly, and Petersen were with Mr A at a house in Woodstock when they heard a car hooting outside. They used a charcoal black Mercedes-Benz to carry out the hit, which was planned meticulously to ensure the successful execution of the crime.
Unfortunately, the plan went awry as Mr A ended up shooting the wrong person, unaware that he had killed the father instead of the son, Nico Heerschap. This realization left him feeling angry, especially after learning that he was supposed to receive R60,000 but was not paid due to the mistaken identity.
The involvement of Nafiz Modack in the whole scheme was revealed to Mr A by Brown, who mentioned that Modack was the boss behind the operation. Despite not knowing Modack personally, Mr A and his accomplices were eventually paid a reduced amount of R25,000 for their involvement in the murder.
After the murder, the TWS gang members destroyed the Mercedes-Benz to cover their tracks upon learning that the Hawks had identified the car’s connection to the crime scene. They set the car on fire near Monwabisi beach in Khayelitsha to eliminate any evidence of their involvement.
The trial is ongoing, shedding light on the dark underbelly of underworld activities and the extent to which individuals are willing to go to carry out criminal acts for financial gain.
Read the original article on Daily Maverick
