Mitchells Plain man sentenced to 30 years in alleged Ugly Americans gang case - IOL

An alleged member of the Ugly Americans gang was sentenced.

One of 21 alleged Ugly Americans gang members has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after entering into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state.

The group faces charges linked to alleged criminal activity in Mitchells Plain, Athlone and Table View spanning two decades.

Identified as accused 15, Slayde Blake, 41, of Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, entered into a section 105A plea and sentencing agreement on Wednesday, September 30 at the Regional Division of the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court.

Eric Ntabazalilia, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed the sentence but could not provide details of the agreement which stipulated which of the charges Blake pleaded guilty to.

“I have just been informed of a section 105A agreement involving accused 15 and that he has been sentenced to 30 years,” he said.

According to the charge sheet, Blake faced a charge under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), alleging that he was a member of a criminal gang between October 2002 and 6 December 2025.

Another charge alleges that, on or about February 15, 2024, at or near Biendonne Street, Westridge, Mitchells Plain, Blake unlawfully and intentionally attempted to kill an adult male by shooting at him with a firearm. The state has withheld the victim’s identity, citing safety concerns.

Together with accused 12, Blake is alleged to have attempted to kill the victim using a firearm and to have been in possession of ammunition.

Blake also faced a charge of reckless or negligent driving. The charge detailed that on the same day in February 2024, at or near Biendonne Street, Westridge, Mitchells Plain, he unlawfully drove a Volkswagen Polo, recklessly or negligently on a public road.

Earlier this week, Blake’s co-accused, who are alleged to have been involved in the murder of Cape Town father Malcolm Pather, also appeared at the same courthouse. Pather’s body was found burned in Melkbosstrand in July 2025.

Igshaan Abrahams, Paul Solomon and Wade van Reenen previously abandoned their bail applications and made an appearance in court this week.

Seventeen of their co-accused have a parallel bail application under way at the same court.

The state revealed that Van Reenen was considering a possible plea agreement.

Senior state prosecutor Advocate Alfred Isaacs said he was awaiting instructions from his deputy director on the proposed agreement.

According to the charge sheet, the state is set to prove under POCA that the group are members of the Ugly Americans gang. The state claims that the gang operates under strict hierarchies, resembling those of prison gangs such as the “26” and “27”, and that its alleged criminal activities continued from October 2002 until December 2025.