Soraya Roberts (54), an active community worker and member of the Walking Bus Project and the mother of Terrible Josters gang member Bradley Roberts, was killed at about 7.30pm on Sunday, 18 April, at a house in Clarke Estate, Elsies River, Cape Town.

Residents speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal attacks in this gang-infested area, said the murder was carried out by a rival gang.

The news of the death of his mother was conveyed to Roberts in the holding cells shortly before he and 19 other Terrible Josters gang members appeared before acting Judge James Lekhuleni in the Western Cape High Court on Monday, 19 April.

After an emotional moment with family members, Roberts joined the other members in the dock and said he was ready for the day’s proceedings.

The 20 gang members, under the leadership of Elton Lenting, alias Koffi, and his second-in-command, Raymond Arendse, are all in jail and face more than 100 charges, including 10 of murder. 

The reign of terror of this gang in Delft South spans from March 2002 to January 2021. During the trial, evidence was heard that the Terrible Josters had at least 10,000 members, and more were joining.

Elsies River community leader Imraahn Mukaddam said: “The testimony I can give about Soraya was that she was a very active woman in the community. She assisted us with the feeding scheme and was a member of the Walking Bus [Project].

“She always talked about her son who was in prison. It is clear because of the gang connection that the families are being targeted. In Elsies River, if rival gangs can’t get you, they will get your family members. This is a new type of terror that gangsters instil in our communities.”

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed police are investigating a murder case after a shooting incident on Sunday at about 7.30pm, in which a 54-year-old woman was fatally wounded.

“Circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. No one has been arrested yet,” he said. DM/MC