LONG ARM OF THE ’LORD’: How ‘SA’s top gang boss’ represents a caving criminal justice system
Murderer George ‘Geweld’ Thomas has been in jail for more than a decade. But last week, on 17 September, the prisons boss described him as South Africa’s “number one gang leader” whose movements could risk national security. Scandals surrounding Thomas now point to how the criminal justice system has been infiltrated, basically from start to finish.
George "Geweld" Thomas, a notorious murderer, has been incarcerated for over a decade in South Africa. Recently, the prisons boss labeled him as the nation's "number one gang leader," whose actions posed a threat to national security. Investigations reveal that the criminal justice system has been compromised, from top to bottom.
The scheme involved using drugs to lure a target to a predetermined location, where a police officer colluding with Thomas would arrest them. The intent was to murder the target once released. However, the plan was thwarted due to stringent prison security measures.
Thomas was allegedly responsible for the murder of a witness, who was killed at a shebeen in the Western Cape. A 2022 court judgment identified Thomas as the individual who issued the lethal command. This judgment also revealed that Thomas had shared a courtroom with 16 other accused individuals during his trial in 2015, where six state witnesses were murdered.
Despite being held in jail for years, Thomas continues to play a significant role in gang activity. He is referred to as "The Lord" due to his dominant position among South African gangs. This situation highlights the systemic issues within the criminal justice system, highlighting the infiltration of the police service, prosecutors, judiciary, and prison authorities.
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