After eight years of evading authorities, Faizel Felix, a 52-year-old individual linked to People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad), has been apprehended and brought before the court. Felix faces charges related to the illegal possession of a firearm.
The Hawks' Crimes Against the State (CATS) team in the Western Cape successfully arrested Felix in Wynberg on 14 July 2025. He made a brief appearance in court following his arrest.
Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, spokesperson for the Hawks, stated that a warrant for Felix's arrest had been issued in October 2016. Hani explained, "Felix has been on the run for the past eight years. It is reported that Felix was arrested on 19 August 2015, for the illegal possession of a firearm by the Special Investigating Group for the City of Cape Town, thereafter the matter was referred to the Hawks for further probing."
According to Hani, "Felix appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court for the illegal possession of a firearm [and] he was granted bail. He disappeared and never attended court again." This non-attendance prompted the court to issue a warrant for his arrest, leading to his recent capture. Felix remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Wynberg Regional Court on 17 July 2025.
In response to Felix's arrest, Pagad has distanced itself from him, asserting that he was expelled from the organisation and is now associated with a splinter group known as G-Force.
Haroon Orrie, Pagad’s deputy national co-ordinator, expressed concern that the Hawks' statement identifying Felix as a member of Pagad could damage the organisation's credibility. "We are certain that the Hawks, via their Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, are alive to the impact of their statement on the credibility and legitimacy of Pagad," Orrie stated.
Orrie emphasised Pagad's commitment to combating gangsterism and drugs, stating, "PAGAD strives to actively promote the eradication of gangsterism and drugs in affected communities. Over the past few weeks, the relevance of this work has become increasingly evident as communities across Cape Town are being threatened by gang activity related to the drug trade. The important role of PAGAD in gangsterism-plagued communities is increasingly clear."
Orrie clarified that "Membership of PAGAD is restricted to persons who accept the principles, programmes and discipline of PAGAD," and that Felix no longer met these criteria.
Pagad has long been a controversial organisation in South Africa. Research from the Institute for Security Studies highlights the group's transformation from a movement against gangsterism and drugs into a vigilante group employing tactics such as pipe bombs and firearms.
The ISS report, titled “Vigilantism v. The State: A case study of the rise and fall of Pagad, 1996-2000”, further details Pagad's evolution into an organisation with a political agenda, suppressing dissent, intimidating the Muslim community, and attacking law enforcement officials.
One of Pagad's most infamous acts was the public lynching and murder of Hard Livings gang leader Rashied Staggie in 1996.
Felix himself has a history of run-ins with the law. In 2001, he was accused of orchestrating a motorbike explosion outside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. However, the case against him collapsed after the main witness, Ashraf Saban, was murdered days before Felix's bail application. With no remaining state witnesses, all charges related to the explosion were withdrawn. At the time, prosecutor Eunice Grey noted that the firearm used in Saban's murder was the same one used to shoot Ebrahim Gallie, a key witness in a separate case against Ebrahim Jeneker.
Jeneker, along with Abdullah Maansdorp and Moegamat Isaacs, all former members of Pagad, were released on parole in November 2020 after serving 21 years for six murders committed in 1999.
Speaking to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity, a former police officer who infiltrated Pagad during its peak and a criminologist familiar with the case both stressed the importance of holding Felix accountable for his actions, regardless of the passage of time.
"Whether it is eight or 20 years, this kind of crime can’t escape accountability because time has lapsed," the former officer stated.
Both sources expressed concern about the potential resurgence of vigilante tendencies, fuelled by public frustration with the police. "There is an emergence of vigilante tendencies in the country, because people are frustrated with the police. One must show when you engage in that kind of activity, then you will be held accountable, whether it is after five or 16 years," they said.
The former officer noted that Pagad appeared to be gaining traction in areas like Mitchells Plain, which are heavily affected by gang activity. He argued that this was understandable, given the challenges with policing in the area.
According to the SAPS fourth quarter crime statistics of the 2024-2025 financial year, from January 2025 to March 2025 there were 319 murders perpetrated due to vigilantism. The leading provinces were Eastern Cape (70), Gauteng (69) and Western Cape (64).
"There are townships in the Western Cape and other parts of the country where people are turning to vigilantism because they are frustrated with the police. In that sense, Pagad is not exceptional," the former officer explained.
He criticised the government's response to crime, arguing that "You can’t deal with these crimes by appointing commission upon commission of inquiry. Now the ordinary person in Manenberg, Lavender Hill, Gauteng and other parts of the country is sitting there and they are saying, ‘President Cyril Ramaphosa is appointing another commission; we are dying here because of crime, and our children are infected with drugs; no we are going to do our own thing.’"
Orrie reiterated that Felix was not a member of Pagad, stating, "We have, since 2015 to the present day, asserted categorically, and very publicly, that a group of former members of Pagad have been expelled from the organisation, due to their contravention of the objects, policies and discipline of Pagad. They have formed a separate splinter group, referring to themselves as the ‘G-Force’. Faizel Felix is a member of this G-Force. He is not a member of Pagad."
Orrie added that "Pagad has embarked on processes to prohibit this splinter group from using and operating under the name of Pagad" and that "This splinter group has been implicated in a range of illegal activities."
Felix is scheduled to appear in the Wynberg Regional Court on Thursday, 17 July 2025. The case raises important questions about vigilantism, the effectiveness of law enforcement, and the long-term consequences of past actions.
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