The defence has objected to lengthy delays in the trial involving the ‘Hollanders gang’, which will only commence in the Northern Cape High Court on March 24, 2025.
THE DEFENCE has objected to lengthy delays in the trial involving the “Hollanders gang”, which will only commence in the Northern Cape High Court on March 24, 2025, as one of the legal representatives is also representing another accused in the Thabo Bester prison escape trial in Bloemfontein.
Legal representatives pointed out that their clients had been kept in custody for a long time.
The accused – George “Barney” Pieters, Britney Arends, Stephanie McAnda, Simone Rose, Chinaaz Mentoor, Abigail van Wyk, Chane Adams, Michael Pieters, Clive Pieters, Deon May, Palmerston Mentoor, Henry Blom, Thabo Sekapano, Vincent Rosen, Tshepo Malambi, Nico Hofuza and Shawn Smith – are facing 56 charges including murder, attempted murder, assault, gang activity, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, kidnapping, rape and public violence.
Many of the alleged crimes were committed between 2020 and 2023 in Kimberley, Prieska and Kuruman and emanate from a long-running feud between the “Hollanders” and “Madpacks” gangs.
As the head of the “Hollanders”, George Pieters was involved in relationships with seven of the accused, as well as Felicia Pieters, who were regarded as “sister wives”.
George Pieters’ first wife, who was identified as playing an integral role in the criminal activities, was allegedly raped by Pieters at a cemetery in Wrenchville, Kuruman, on January 24, 2023, after their relationship deteriorated.
She was also held against her will in a house in Wrenchville.
The accused allegedly assaulted and threatened SAPS officers at Roodepan police station when they demanded the release of two family members of George Pieters, who were arrested in August 2020.
Shirley Hofuza was sentenced to eight years imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder, after rival gang leader Roger Johnson was shot outside the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court in December 2020.
Demeon Lyndon Hannie, an associate of Johnson, the leader of the Madpacks group, was shot multiple times at his flat in Roodepan in June 2021.
Shots were also fired into another neighbouring flat that was “full of people”.
Following the shooting, the firearms and ammunition were handed to the female members of the group. The firearms were later retrieved at the back of the SAPS vehicle that was used to transport them to the police station.
The accused took out nine life insurance policies, amounting to R27 million, on Danneline Alberts, after George Pieters questioned her loyalty towards him as his wife.
It was allegedly decided that she would be murdered as soon as the waiting period had lapsed, although only R1.3 million was paid out upon her death.
Several bungalows were booked for the accused in Kuruman in July 2021. During the “family outing”, some of the wives allegedly stabbed and suffocated the deceased while George Pieters apparently sat outside.
The accused are alleged to have damaged Francois van Zyl’s property after mistakenly identifying his home as that of mechanic Johannes Niewoudt. George Pieters reportedly thought that Niewoudt was taking too long to service his BMW, so he, along with his co-accused, drove to Van Zyl’s house. When Van Zyl confronted the accused, he had a firearm pointed at him.
The accused then reportedly drove to mechanic Lucas Clapton’s house, where they allegedly kicked in the door and threw bricks and stones at the house. They allegedly assaulted Clapton and his partner, Sharon Faber, while also firing shots at her. Clapton retrieved his own firearm and returned fire. During the exchange, George Pieters and a co-accused, Vincent Rosen, were injured and had to be rushed to the hospital.
The accused were apparently unable to lure Clayton Virgil Jackson, an associate of Roger Johnson, out of his house in Roodepan, leading them to abandon their alleged plan to kill him in January 2022.
On their way back, they bumped into Ramon Dukiayne Jacobs and Racharm Norman in the street, where they allegedly fired shots at them.
Jacobs, who was also an associate of Johnson, was killed after being shot multiple times in the chest and back.
On February 12, 2022, another associate of Johnson, Daniel du Plessis, survived after being shot in the neck.
A police officer was shot when he arrived at the Roodepan flats on February 27, 2022, after shots were fired at Johnson’s associates – Pule Darrius and Austin Beyers.
Beyers died as a result of medical complications after sustaining serious injuries.
