A heavy security detail including fully armed members of the police’s tactical response team, double security checks and the road in front of the Port Elizabeth High Court being cordoned off marked the continuation of the triple murder trial of high-ranking alleged gangsters.

Since the trial involving alleged gang boss Wendell Petersen and his three co-accused began in April 2018, security has been beefed up in and around the courthouse as safety concerns became a priority, particularly with rival gangsters appearing in separate courts. Apart from the usual security check at the entrance of the Bird Street building, a further, more thorough, security check is done...