Alleged underworld figure and murder accused Mark Lifman demands a public apology from former Beerhouse owner Randolf Jorberg for claims he made stemming from a Carte Blanche exposé, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: ‘Extortion, intimidation and racketeering’ see Beerhouse close down
On 31 July, the iconic Beerhouse announced that it would close its doors after receiving death threats. In September 2020, Jorberg called on other Cape Town CBD business owners to ‘unite against extortion, intimidation, and racketeering’, as several businesses were reportedly held ransom by being forced to pay protection fees to underworld kingpin Nafiz Modack’s gang.
Since then, Jorberg has been living a nomadic lifestyle due to death threats and confirmed that the closure of Beerhouse was related to a Carte Blanche exposé in which he spoke about the 2015 murder of one of his employees.
In his business closure statement, Jorberg said the extortion began in 2013. He said he paid R2 000 monthly alongside a ‘few hundred businesses in town’.
‘A man said if I pay them, I could call them if ever a group too big for our own doorman came in and behaved rowdy and I had to tell him that in two years of trade, the only time that my doorman had to deal with a group that is too big to handle was when he arrived with eight big men days prior,’ he added.
‘The danger they protect you from is themselves. That is what makes it an obvious extortion. I believe that is what killed him (staffer), my decision not to pay.’
He listed Mark Lifman, who is a notorious underworld figure who has been linked to alleged Sexy Boys gang boss Jerome ‘Donkie’ Booysen, as one of the perpetrators.
‘Beerhouse closing after 11 years is hopefully a turning point in the story on extortion in South Africa and I can hopefully one day return home to Cape Town feeling safe and that we made a difference,’ Jorberg said on social media.
‘It’s rare that the closure of a bar makes the front page of Cape Town’s biggest newspaper Cape Argus, Google’s trending topic, Daily Maverick’s most-read article and many other media to report on it.
‘Speaking from outside the country and reach of #MarkLifman, #NafizModack and their gangs means that while Beerhouse did end, my voice will not be quietened.’
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However, Lifman’s attorney sent Jorberg a letter of demand on Wednesday, accusing him of making defamatory statements.
‘Your statement that “Mark Lifman must pay for his crimes” makes a direct and unequivocal assertion of our client’s guilt in relation to unspecified crimes,’ the letter read.
‘This statement presupposes our client’s criminality and demands retribution, which prejudices public opinion and damages our client’s reputation by publicly labelling him as a criminal.
‘The demand for “payment” for alleged crimes further implies that our client is guilty of serious wrongdoing, which undermines his character and integrity without due process.’
Michael Strauss, Lifman’s attorney, told News24 that the reach of Jorberg’s ‘defamatory statements is extensive and has caused and will continue to cause our client significant reputational damage’.
The letter also demanded a public apology and retraction of Jorberg’s statements.
‘You retract the statements on every social media platform on which they were published and falling within your control within seven days of receipt of this letter, and in any event by no later than 4 September 2024,’ it said.
This week, Jorberg appealed on Facebook for help from an attorney on a pro-bono basis to formally open a case against Lifman and Hussein Taleb for intimidation and extortion leading to murder.
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Picture: Jaco Marais / Gallo Images