A member of the Varado gang has been handed two life sentences for the 2017 murders of two people in Westbury, Johannesburg.
Kemal Zita, 25, appeared in the South Gauteng High Court on Thursday where he also received 71 years after being convicted on two counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, possession of unlawful firearms and possession of unlawful ammunition as well as a charge related to being associated with a gang.
In 2017, Zita and fellow gang member Faldeen Sampie Marks shot and killed Raymond Jansen and Ricardo Smith and injured five people in two separate incidents.
"Police arrested both suspects and the provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit carried out the investigation, gathering necessary evidence that led to the successful conviction and sentencing of the suspects," said police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo.
Marks is currently serving a 274-year prison sentence for numerous gang-related murders.
"This is the result of a committed, hard-working and dedicated investigating officer.
"Combating of gang-related crime remains a priority of the SAPS in Gauteng and such a sentence will send a strong message to those who are still involved in gangsterism that is often associated with serious and violent crime," said Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela.