Abdul Kader Davids, a suspect tied to high-level corruption in Cape Town’s construction industry, was shot and killed just two days after posting R250,000 bail.
Story Summary:
- Abdul Kader Davids, a key suspect in the Cape Town construction mafia case, was shot and killed in Mitchells Plain shortly after posting bail.
- The murder is suspected to be a coordinated effort to sabotage the ongoing corruption trial involving top officials and gang leaders.
- Police are investigating the possibility of further attacks on other suspects or witnesses linked to the high-profile case.
Who killed Abdul Kader Davids?
Davids, who was implicated in an alleged billion-rand tender corruption case, was gunned down in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, on Thursday night.
Police found his body on Ascot Street, riddled with gunshot wounds to the neck, face, and back.
According to police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie:
“Preliminary reports suggest that unknown gunmen opened fire on the victim, who was declared deceased by medical personnel who attended to the scene.”
Investigators are working to determine the motive behind the murder, but early reports suggest that Davids’ death may be a coordinated hit designed to interfere with the ongoing criminal case.
Davids was one of several accused, including former City of Cape Town mayoral committee member Malusi Booi and alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield, in a case involving tender fraud and corruption worth over R1 billion.
Was the shooting linked to ongoing Cape construction mafia case?
Authorities suspect that the shooting of Abdul Kader Davids was directly linked to the high-profile corruption case he was involved in.
The case centres on tender collusion in Cape Town’s construction industry, with allegations that Davids and others conspired to control multi-million-rand city contracts.
The case is said to involve powerful figures, including alleged gang leaders and city officials, with the state facing immense pressure to secure convictions.
The death of Davids is believed to be an attempt to disrupt the trial, as his testimony was critical to the state’s case.
According to sources close to the investigation, the murder might be part of a broader strategy to eliminate key witnesses, weakening the state’s ability to prosecute the individuals at the heart of the alleged conspiracy.
“If witnesses die, the state loses the case,” a source familiar with the investigation explained.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pojie confirmed that detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit are leading the investigation into Davids’ murder, with concerns that more suspects or witnesses in the case could be targeted.
Court documents seen by Daily Maverick revealed that Davids, the sole director of ZSM Developers, was part of a scheme to falsify tender applications in collaboration with Stanfield’s wife, Nicole Johnson.
The case gained significant attention when handwriting experts were brought in to confirm suspicions that multiple tender applications were completed by the same individual.
Despite claiming in court that he was a cleaner and could not afford his bail amount, Davids was released on R250,000 bail earlier this week.
Two days later, he was gunned down, raising questions about the safety of other suspects involved in the case.
