GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR ASSASSINATION OF POACHER FOR REFUSING TO PAY EXTORTION MONEY

01 DECEMBER 2025

GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR ASSASSINATION OF POACHER FOR REFUSING TO PAY EXTORTION MONEY

Hermanus, Western Cape; The Hermanus Regional Court has sentenced two gang members to long-term imprisonment following their conviction for the premeditated murder of an abalone poacher who refused to pay extortion money. The court convicted Junior Mafia gang members, Paul Adams, and Ismail Khan, after an order for a hit and assassination of abalone poacher, Cameron Marc Padayachee, on 21 December 2021.

The accused were convicted of aiding and abetting criminal gang activity in that they were members of the Junior Mafias gang between 02 September 2021 and 21 December 2021. They were also convicted of Padayachee’s premeditated murder. Adams was also convicted for illegal possession of abalone following an arrest in Grabouw on 15 September 2021. In a plea and sentencing agreement with the State, Adams, 33, confessed that he was a member of the Junior Mafia gang and that he instructed two other members, Ismail Khan and Renaldo van der Berg, to kill Padayachee for his refusal to pay extortion money. Padayachee was involved in abalone poaching and was expected to pay extortion money to the Junior Mafia gang, like all other poachers.

On 21 December 2021, Khan and Van der Bergh fetched a firearm from Adams, which was left in his care by another gang member for safekeeping. That afternoon, the two killers approached Padayachee on Kapokblom Street, Blompark, while he was working on a vehicle, and Van der Bergh fired eight shots at him. He died on the scene. Padayachee’s minor children were sitting in the car while their father was being assassinated. They witnessed the assassination and were severely traumatised. They were fetched from the vehicle and taken to safety.

There was a previous attempt on Padayachee’s life, but he managed to evade his killers by jumping into his vehicle and driving off. Adams admitted that the order to kill Padayachee was for the benefit of the gang. Adams also confessed that he was a passenger in a bakkie on 15 September 2021, which had illegal abalone when they were arrested at a filling station in Grabouw. He admitted that he contravened the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998 and that through his actions, he was facilitating the illegal abalone trade.

The court sentenced him to 20 years' direct imprisonment with four years suspended on condition that he is not convicted of murder or being a member of a gang. It sentenced him to five years' direct imprisonment for the contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998. It ordered this sentence to run concurrently with the sentence for murder and being a member of a gang, effectively sentencing him to 16 years' direct imprisonment. He was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

In the same plea and sentencing agreement, Khan, 25, confirmed that a decision was taken to kill Padayachee as a result of his involvement in poaching in the area and his refusal to pay a certain percentage of his income to the Junio Mafia gang, which was extorting money from poachers. He confessed that he was a member of the gang and that his actions were for the benefit of the gang. He also confirmed that he and Van der Bergh fetched a firearm from Adams that morning and that they approached the deceased while he was fixing his vehicle with his friend. He vociferously urged Van der Bergh to shoot the deceased, shouting repeatedly, “Dala what you must, maak die nommer vol.”

He also confirmed that the deceased’s minor children were in the vehicle when the deceased was assassinated. The court sentenced him to 20 years' direct imprisonment with five years suspended on condition that he is not convicted of murder or being a member of a gang. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Regional court prosecutor Ilse Keyser argued that the offences perpetrated by the accused were very serious and have lately become associated with the longstanding problem of illegal harvesting of poaching of abalone. The increasing possession and abuse of firearms contribute to the high levels of violent crimes in our communities. She further argued that Padayachee’s murder was premeditated and committed with direct intent.

The motive was to teach him and other abalone poachers not to disobey orders, to pay a certain percentage of their illegal abalone proceeds to the gang or suffer the consequences. His murder sent a warning to other poachers to pay a certain percentage of money to continue with their illegal poaching activities. The deceased’s children were very close to where their father was shot and were severely traumatised by the incident. They could have been hit by a stray or ricocheted bullet. These accused had no regard for their safety or well-being. Van der Bergh entered a plea and sentencing agreement with the State and is serving 30 years of direct imprisonment for the same charges.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv. Nicolette Bell applauded the investigation and prosecution team for ensuring justice was served. She said environmental crimes are often linked to organised crime. Criminal networks exploit weak regulations and enforcement to profit from illegal activities, using tactics such as corruption, violence, and fraud.

Issued by:

Eric Ntabazalila

National Prosecuting Authority

Regional Communications Manager – Western Cape

Tel: (021) 487 7308

Mobile: 073 062 1222