Junior Mafia Kill Poacher in Front of His Kids

Poacher Gunned Down in Front of His Children

Two members of the ruthless Junior Mafia gang have been sentenced to long-term imprisonment for the brutal, premeditated assassination of abalone poacher Cameron Marc Padayachee, who was murdered for refusing to pay extortion money to the gang.
The Hermanus Regional Court convicted gang members Paul Adams and Ismail Khan after they orchestrated and carried out the hit on 21 December 2021 in Blompark, Hermanus.

Padayachee was shot eight times while working on a vehicle, with his minor children seated nearby — children who witnessed their father’s killing and were left severely traumatised.

Gang Ordered Killing to “Teach a Lesson”

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), a plea and sentencing agreement revealed that Adams, 33, admitted he was a Junior Mafia gang member and confirmed that he instructed co-accused Ismail Khan and Renaldo van der Bergh to kill Padayachee.
Padayachee was among several abalone poachers expected to pay a percentage of their illegal income to the gang. His refusal led to the order for his assassination.

On the day of the murder, Khan and Van der Bergh collected a firearm from Adams — a gun left in his safekeeping by another gang member. The killers approached Padayachee on Kapokblom Street and Van der Bergh fired eight shots at close range.

A previous attempt on Padayachee’s life had failed when he managed to escape in his vehicle.

Long Prison Terms Handed Down

The court sentenced Adams to 20 years’ direct imprisonment, with four years suspended, on condition he is not convicted of murder or gang-related offences again.
He also received five years for contravening the Marine Living Resources Act relating to illegal abalone. This sentence will run concurrently, leaving him with 16 years of direct imprisonment. He has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Khan, 25, admitted he was a Junior Mafia gang member and confirmed he urged Van der Bergh to shoot Padayachee, reportedly shouting: “Dala what you must, maak die nommer vol.”
He, too, confirmed the victim’s children were in the vehicle during the killing.

He was sentenced to 20 years, with five years suspended, also on conditions relating to future gang or murder convictions. Khan has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Van der Bergh, the shooter, previously entered a plea deal and is already serving 30 years’ direct imprisonment.

NPA: Murder Was a Warning to Other Poachers

Regional court prosecutor Ilse Keyser argued that the murder was a clear message designed to intimidate other poachers into paying extortion fees.

Keyser emphasised that abalone poaching is increasingly tied to organised crime, involving gangs who use violence, illegal firearms, corruption and threats to control coastal communities and profit from the abalone black market.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv. Nicolette Bell, applauded investigators for dismantling part of the gang’s criminal operations.

She stressed that environmental crimes often intersect with organised criminal networks who exploit weak regulations and resort to violence for financial gain.