Photograph by: Halden Krog
Credit: The Times

'We'll get all the big drug dealers and their assets'

Gerald Levendal, a known drug dealer in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, was charged with possession of drugs and with bribery, thanks to the intervention of the community, and was yesterday sentenced to an effective 10 years for his crimes.

Drugs and gangsterism in the area reached such high levels that residents organised themselves into street committees to chase addicts from local drug dens.

In recent months, two neighbourhood watch members have been killed and others injured while on volunteer duty.

One of the community workers killed was Mervyn Jacobs, whose murder recently made headlines.

In an unprecedented move during Levendal's trial, the street committee applied to the court for a denial of his bail.

At a press conference after the sentencing, the commander of Mitchells Plain police station, Director Jeremy Vearey, congratulated the community and the seven-member police team that cracked the case, saying it was the constant pressure on Levendal that had eventually brought him to book.

"In no case I've heard of has someone been denied bail because of possession of one 'stop' of dagga. The magistrate could see the anger of the community. The magistrate repeatedly referred to the community's involvement while handing down sentence," Vearey said, telling the assembled Mitchells Plain people to give themselves a round of applause.

"Levendal told the police we wouldn't stop him smuggling drugs. He said he would get rich while the community gets poorer. He was arrogant, with the backing of the Americans [a gang], but today he stood alone," Vearey said.

Mitchells Plain neighbourhood watch member Irene Pinto was at court for the sentencing.

"I feel so glad, so relieved. The system is starting to work and we're not doing voluntary work for nothing," she said.

Vearey said the police "were not finished" with Levendal.

"He said in court that his house is paid off, so now we are going after it. When we are finished, we will hand it over to the taxman," he said

Another "high-flyer" alleged criminal arrested by the police's organised crime unit was Jerome Morris.

"We want to go after the criminals the community feels strongly about. We delivered 'G-Boy' [Levendal] first because we don't have enough resources to do everything at once. We will eventually get all the big drug dealers on trial. We will get them, their money and their assets, bought with money from drugs."

Vearey said Levendal's sentence "sets the tone for assets to be taken".