By Ragheema Mclean
The department of Correctional Services has announced that the notorious 28s prison gang leader, George “Geweld” Thomas, has been moved from the Helderstroom Prison.
This comes after community leaders as well as the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition expressed concern after Thomas was transferred from the Ebongweni Prison in Kokstad to Helderstroom Prison in the Western Cape.
The coalition reached out to Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald for an intervention over the high risk his presence posed to local communities.
Within 24 hours of the intervention, Thomas was transferred to the C-Max facility at Kgosi Mampuru II in Pretoria in Gauteng, as the department investigates the irregular transfer.
Meanwhile, Minister Groenewald also met with the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition on Tuesday to discuss interventions to reduce gang-related violence in affected communities.
Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Thursday, Jeremy Vearey, a member of the Cape Crime Crisis Coalition, commended Minister Groenewald’s quick response.
“He thanked us for promptly alerting him and expressed that this was done in an irregular fashion because neither the regional commissioner of correctional services in the Western Cape nor the prison head at Helderstroom knew this was taking place. He immediately acted, and the meeting we had was also to report to us that the problem has been solved.”
Vearey said the coalition explained the gravity of the situation to the minister, describing Thomas as a “lord” of the 28s gang—a rare and highly influential rank.
“Such a man does not act alone – he acts with the power of every single 28 gang member in every single prison in South Africa. If he gives an instruction, it gets passed down the line and it gets done.”
Furthermore, he shared the chilling message that Thomas reportedly sent out upon his arrival in the Western Cape:
“Os gan die land skoffel,” meaning that the 28s gang would enforce order through violence, potentially leading to bloodshed in their efforts to “clean house.”
“I mean he was in one of the most secure prisons in the country, a prison where you locked up inside for 23 hours a day and only come out with one warder who’s permanently with you throughout your sentence. You don’t get to see any other prisoners or warders. So, you can imagine how he got this right despite that tight system with the power he has.”
In 2015, Thomas was sentenced to seven life sentences for seven murders, along with 175 additional years for 52 other charges related to crimes committed between 2006 and 2010.
Several of these murders were orchestrated from within prison walls.
“This is not the first time this has happened,” Vearey noted.
“A few years ago, a similar situation occurred when another 26s general was transferred to Drakenstein from a private prison with the same mission.”
Vearey noted, “We are happy that the minister was willing to listen and act in 24 hours – I’ve never seen that in a state department.”
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
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