Advocate Vernon Jantjies a prominent Cape Town lawyer was shot dead in an apparent hit at a petrol station in Mitchells Plain over the weekend.
Advocate Vernon Jantjies was born in Gelvandale, Port Elizabeth and served as a magistrate in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court several years ago.
Western Cape police did not identify Jantjies but said a 54 year old man, who previously worked for the Department of Justice in the Khayelitsha area, was shot dead in Lentegeur around 21:40 on Sunday.
Brigadier Novela Potelwa said he had just stepped out of a shop at a petrol station when several shots were fired at him and he died on the scene.
No one has been arrested yet.
A Cape Town advocate has been shot and killed in Mitchells Plain in what appears to have been a hit. It happened at the BP at the Clock Tower in Lentegeur. Two other people were wounded. The advocate specialized in criminal cases. pic.twitter.com/l4D0VrYk68
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) 2 December 2019
His murder follows those of prominent Cape Town advocate Pete Mihalik and attorney Noorudien Hassan.
Hassan was shot in his car outside his home in Lansdowne on November 7, 2016. Noorudien Hassan was linked to some of the Western Cape province’s most high-profile gang cases.
Mihalik worked closely with Hassan and was shot dead while dropping off his children at Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard School in Green Point on October 30 2018.
Michael Blignaut who had known Jantjies for more than 35 years said that he was at a loss for words.
The two met while playing for different teams in the local soccer community league in Port Elizabeth and became best friends.
“We both represented the UWC (University of the Western Cape) football team in the mid 80s, during which we became best friends.”
More: News24