Modack Back On The Stand As Prosecutors Link Him To Melkbosstrand Murder

The courtroom was tense on Wednesday as alleged Cape Town underworld figure Nafiz Modack faced another round of questioning, this time directly addressing claims that he was behind the 2019 murder of Nicholaas Heerschap. For many in the Western Cape, the trial has become a window into the darker corners of organised crime, and the latest testimony only deepened the intrigue.

A Case That Shook Melkbosstrand

Residents of Melkbosstrand still remember the shock that rippled through their quiet community when 74-year-old Nicholaas Heerschap was killed outside his home on 9 July 2019. What made the murder even more disturbing was the immediate suspicion that it had nothing to do with him, but rather with his son, Nico Heerschap, a Hawks investigator working on a commercial crimes case linked to Modack.

That early speculation now forms the backbone of the state’s case.

Prosecution Pushes Its Narrative

State Prosecutor Greg Wolmarans continued tightening the screws on Wednesday, pressing Modack about what he knew and when he knew it. The state insists Modack orchestrated the hit, pointing to earlier testimony from a man known in the trial only as Mister A, a self-confessed gunman.

According to Mister A, one of Modack’s co-accused told him to eliminate the Hawks officer. In a devastating twist, he targeted the wrong man and killed the officer’s father instead.

Wolmarans wasted no time reminding the court of this version.

“The shooting that took the life of his father was a case of mistaken identity, especially when I couple it with Mister A’s evidence,” he said.

Modack’s response was brief and careful: “I cannot confirm or deny that, my Lord.”

Modack Maintains His Distance

Throughout the trial, Modack has insisted he had no knowledge that Nico Heerschap was investigating him at the time of the murder. His legal strategy has largely centred on distancing himself from both the alleged plot and the men said to have carried it out.

But with prosecutors now working systematically to connect him to the killing, the stakes have risen. Cape Town residents following the trial expressed frustration online, with many worried that justice has taken far too long. Others say the testimony feels like yet another chapter in the city’s long fight against organised crime.

A High-Profile Case With High Public Interest

The Modack trial has dominated Cape Town’s news cycle for months, partly because it intersects with ongoing concerns about gang activity, policing challenges, and fears of corruption.

Court watchers expect the prosecution to continue relying on insider testimony, while the defence will likely focus on discrediting those same witnesses. For the Heerschap family, however, the hope is simple: clarity, closure and conviction.

As the trial resumes, one thing feels certain. The story is far from over, and the Western Cape will be watching every twist unfold in the weeks ahead.

{Source:EWN}

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