By Esther de Villiers
Mark Lifman was shot dead on Sunday morning in Garden Route Mall’s parking lot in George, just one day before he was due to testify in a high-profile murder trial.
Witnesses say gunmen with assault rifles shot Lifman as he walked to his bakkie.
The attackers, in a white VW Golf with CY plates, fired five shots before speeding away. Police later caught and arrested two white men in Uniondale, 115km from George.
Lifman, who usually had bodyguards, was alone when he was killed.
Mall shopper Jen Dempsey was nearby when it happened.
“The mall was particularly busy for a Sunday, and we heard no gunshots even though we were close to the area where his car was parked.
“Only when we left did we notice the presence of many police vehicles – at least 10 cops were on site, and as we exited, we were directed past the cordoned-off area,” Jen told Scrolla.Africa.
Lifman was due in the Western Cape High Court for the Brian Wainstein murder trial.
Prosecutors say he paid for Wainstein’s 2017 killing to control an illegal steroid business.
Three other people linked to the case have been killed:
- Anthony “Amier” van der Watt in October 2022
- Jason Maits in March 2021
- Gang leader William “Red” Stevens in February 2021
Crime writer Caryn Dolley says Lifman faced many charges over 14 years. He denied involvement in Wainstein’s murder but now cannot testify in the ongoing trial.
Pictured above: Mark Lifman’s body in the Garden Route Mall’s parking lot.
Source: Supplied
