News24.com | Trial date set for for man accused of multiple murders and selling guns to Cape Town gangs

A Durban man accused of murder and supplying guns to gangs appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday.

• A Durban man accused of supplying guns to gangs, as well as murder, will go on trial in Cape Town in January 2024. 
• Anderson Padayachee made a brief appearance at the Western Cape High Court for his trial date to be set. 
• His bail was extended until then. 

A man accused of being part of a network that smuggles guns to Cape Town will go on trial in January next year. 

Anderson Padayachee appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday for his trial date to be set. 

In a dock packed with other men and one woman accused of various murders, robberies and rapes, he stood to hear that he will go on trial from 29 January to 28 March. His bail was extended until then. 

The court heard that there were still a few issues to iron out before then, including the indexing of around 2 000 pages of documents, but this was not expected to lead to any delays. 

Padayachee was arrested in February 2021, and at the time the Hawks alleged that he, via his dealership, was linked to an illegal supply of firearms to Cape Town gangs.  

Padayachee hails from Wentworth in Durban and is accused of working with the Terrible Josters gang in Cape Town. This gang's alleged top leadership is currently on trial in the same court for multiple murders in a separate case.

Padayachee has been charged with eight murders and five attempted murders.

READ | Terrible Josters trial has rare day of uninterrupted evidence with 20 alleged gangsters in court

He is accused of being involved in the murders of Anesto Dillon Pedro in Gansbaai, Chad Julius in Lotus River, September Steyn near Strand, Rivaldo Willeman in Bishop Lavis, Davis Moses in Grassy Park, David Adams in Grassy Park, Michael Peters of Bishop Lavis, and Matthew Pedro of Bishop Lavis. 

He is also accused of being involved in the attempted murder of Shaun Smith, Keaton Johnson, Carin Koopman, Lorenzo Hendricks, and Jamelio Gordon.  

The charges also include money laundering, fraud, modifying firearms, and failing to keep firearm registers.