[The Americans’ gang is famous here. Goodness knows why the Cape Coloureds chose that name! It has nothing to do with real Americans. Note how the young guy was stabbed to death with knives and even screwdrivers. Gangsterism is a serious problem among Cape Coloured people. Personally, I think gangs can be wiped out easily, if one had a firm Government. But, the limp wrist of the law is to blame. Jan]

He was a gangster who sought to take control of his life by becoming an upright citizen and entrepreneur.

So young Lucian Scheepers walked away from his Americans gang members in his Wesbank neighbourhood to start his own business, selling chains and other jewellery he bought at a Cape Town shop.

But his former Americans gang members would not let him go. Led by a well-known “high-flyer”, they allegedly hunted him for a year before stabbing him to death with screwdrivers and knives in his suburb.

Scheepers was only 20 when he was stabbed several times in the chest and head on April 16.

Scheepers was only 20 when he was killed
His distraught parents, Sharon and Henry Scheepers, said on Wednesday their eldest son died in hospital two days later.

Six men appeared briefly in the Kuils River magistrate’s court in connection with the murder on Wednesday.

Vaughan Fester, whom police labelled a “high-flyer”, druglord and Americans gangleader in Wesbank, appeared with Carl Kelly, Saiyuk Stevens, Jason Malgas, Riaan Fredericks and Shane Topley before magistrate Estelle Ellis and state prosecutor Mandla Dube, on charges of murder.

The packed courtroom was closely monitored by members of the high-flyers unit and public order police unit.

The case was postponed to next week for a formal bail application hearing.

‘He had the skill to become a successful businessman’
Patrick Vezasie appeared for Kelly and Malgas, while Morne Binedell represented Stevens, Fredericks, Fester and Topley.

Outside the court, Lucian’s father, Henry Scheepers, described how his son, the eldest of three children, had left the Americans gang more than a year ago.

“Because he refused to walk with them, they viewed him as opposing them.

“Lucian was a great entrepreneur, and had the skill to become a successful businessman. He had a desire to work for himself,” Scheepers said, “but they (the Americans gang) wanted control of his life”.

A large crowd of placard-wielding Wesbank residents shouted: “No bail for Vaughan Fester!” outside court.

This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on May 12, 2005

Source: Independent Online (IOL)
URL: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click…/p>