Top Cape gangster gets VIP invite to Zuma birthday bash

Cape Town's most notorious property mogul and gangster businessman, Mark Lifman, was a VIP guest at President Jacob Zuma's birthday rally at Vygieskraal Stadium in Athlone on April 12.

Lifman, wearing an ANC T-shirt and a "guest" badge, was invited to the rally and had access to the stage, which required clearance by the president's bodyguards.

He was seen warmly greeting ANC provincial chairman Marius Fransman.

The photograph of Lifman and Fransman together could prove embarrassing to the ANC.

A senior ANC leader in Cape Town said: "This picture is going to become a nightmare for the ANC ... On the eve of the election, nothing will hurt the ANC's election campaign here [in the Western Cape] more than if you publish that picture of Fransman standing next to Lifman.

"Lifman is notorious. He has been involved in crime, accused of very unsavoury deeds involving children ... People are scared of him, and yet he's a VIP guest of the president of our country and a deputy minister and provincial ANC leader. How can this possibly be acceptable when the Western Cape is crippled by gangsters and crime?" the ANC leader said.

Another ANC leader in the Western Cape, who asked not to be named, slammed "Fransman's cosy relationship with known gangsters".

"There are rumours about Fransman's dodgy friends and associates for many years. It's an open secret Lifman gave the ANC money prior to the election. Why else would he be allowed so close to the president, and why else would Fransman be in his company?" the ANC official said.

The Sunday Times recently reported how a senior prosecutor named Lifman in an affidavit following two petrol-bomb attacks on her Cape Town home.

The prosecutor made the sworn statement to the police, and the case is under investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks).

Lifman, who is under investigation by the South African Revenue Service, owns more than 60 properties in Cape Town and is a business associate of Jerome "Donkey" Booysen, a leader of the Sexy Boys gang.

He is appearing in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on charges of running specialised protection services without being registered. The Hawks are investigating.

The Sunday Times reported in February that Lifman's Porsche Cayenne was parked at a house belonging to Booysen's sister, Theresa, and her husband. Both are known gangsters. Police confiscated 3kg of tik, more than 500 Mandrax tablets and R75000 cash at the house.

One of the ANC leaders interviewed by the Sunday Times said: "I'm shocked that Lifman is welcomed as a VIP at the president's birthday.

"When you start mixing with these people, you're legitimising organised crime masquerading as politics."

Fransman said: "Between 6000 and 7000 people attended the president's birthday rally. Mark Lifman was one of many people who came ... We sent out a general invitation, and we're welcoming everybody in the ANC. The bottom line is that loads of people come to the podium."

He refused to say whether he had invited Lifman as a VIP. "This is a free country... Did you know the ANC doesn't ban people [from an event]? Mark Lifman has the right to attend our rallies. There is nothing sinister about that ... He definitely didn't give us money."

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Zuma had no control over invitations to the VIP section. "The president was not involved in who got invited. It was an ANC rally," he said.

"Lifman could have got that VIP card anywhere. Apart from screening for weapons, there's no control over who gets into the VIP section."

A provincial ANC leader said the stage at the rally was "extremely tightly controlled".

"Not even I can get into that area. You have to be cleared by the chairman [Fransman] to have that access."