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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trial of gun dealer Anderson Padayachee, which started in November 2024, was scheduled to continue in the Western Cape High Court on Monday, 3 February 2025, but was postponed when the defence applied to plead guilty on several lesser charges.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The matter was heard before Judge Daniel Thulare. Addressing the court, counsel for Padayachee advocate Carlo Viljoen said the defence would approach the State on some of the</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> counts to see if they could shorten the trial.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2515714\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/guns2-1.jpg\" alt=\"firearms gang charges \" width=\"1121\" height=\"671\" /> <em>The big stockpile of firearms confiscated during a high-speed chase in Laingsburg on 9 June 2018, during which alleged gun-smuggler Anderson Padayachee was arrested. (Photo: NPA)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are going to see if we can enter into [section] 105 negotiations in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act on some of the charges and we want to deal with it this week,” Viljoen said on Monday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prosecutor Christiaan de Jongh said the State had no objection to discussions, but needed the proposals from the defence. The sentencing on the admissions of guilt, De Jongh said, would be dealt with at the end of proceedings.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges.</span>\r\n<h4><strong>66 charges</strong></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee faces 66 charges, including eight counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and charges for violating the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and several crimes under the Firearms Control Act.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the heart of the charges against Padayachee is that he allegedly sold firearms to the notorious Terrible Josters gang between </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018 and 2019. These weapons were allegedly used by the Terrible Josters gang to murder eight people.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee did not directly pull the trigger, the State argues the firearms registered to Padayachee’s dealership, Anderson’s Guns and Ammo in Merebank, Durban, were allegedly used to commit these murders.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-12-20-durban-gun-dealer-facing-66-charges-after-allegedly-supplying-cape-towns-gangs-with-firearms/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Durban gun dealer facing 66 charges after allegedly supplying Cape Town’s gangs with firearms</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Terrible Josters is a powerful gang in Cape Town, with a membership of an estimated 10,000 and strongholds in Delft, Wesbank, Elsies River and Kleinmond. In 2020, the Western Cape High Court </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-13-blow-to-10000-strong-cape-gang-as-leader-and-lieutenants-sentenced-to-life-behind-bars/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sentenced its leader</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Horatio “Voudie” Solomon and several top members of The Terrible Josters gang to life imprisonment.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A second matter involving the gang relates to its leader Elton Lenting and 19 other members who face a total of 145 charges, which include 10 murders. This matter is being heard in the Western Cape High Court.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-21-gang-bosses-face-145-charges-including-10-murders-for-decade-of-terror-in-western-cape/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gang bosses face 145 charges — including 10 murders — for decade of terror in Western Cape</span></a>\r\n<h4><b>‘Panic mode’</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trial of Padayachee is scheduled to be finalised in the court’s second term at the end of June 2025.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De Jongh and two colleagues then have to prepare for the trial of </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vereeniging arms dealer Alan Raves, a firearms collector and heritage firearms expert and inspector, and Irshaad Laher, a self-employed businessman, for allegedly supplying thousands of stolen SAPS firearms to criminal gangs between 2006 and 2015.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disgraced former Colonel Chris Prinsloo, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2016 on more than 20 counts of racketeering, corruption and money laundering, allegedly sold them these firearms. He was </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-16-officials-mum-top-cop-sentenced-to-18-years-for-flooding-cape-flats-with-illegal-guns-is-out-on-parole-after-four-years/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">released on parole</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in April 2020. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De Jongh also expressed concern that if the Padayachee trial was not completed by the end of June, it might be postponed indefinitely because the State would be preparing for the lengthy Raves and Lahar case.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are already in a panic mode about that. Because we have to finish by the end of the second term, because in the third term, the prosecution must prepare for a trial starting by the fourth term (7 October 2024).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The matter of the Raves and Laher, a similar type of case involving firearms allegedly sold to gangsters … also is going to be a protracted trial. If that is the case, I don’t know how long this case is going to take. So what it means is that the Padayachee case has to stop.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judge Thulare said: “The matter of Mr Padayachee has been allocated time, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this matter is completed within that time frame, because there are other plans for us in terms of the service that we provide to the communities through the criminal justice system.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I don’t expect this matter to outlive its span, we must finalise it before or around the time that was allocated.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The matter will resume on Tuesday, 11 February. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trial of gun dealer Anderson Padayachee, which started in November 2024, was scheduled to continue in the Western Cape High Court on Monday, 3 February 2025, but was postponed when the defence applied to plead guilty on several lesser charges.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The matter was heard before Judge Daniel Thulare. Addressing the court, counsel for Padayachee advocate Carlo Viljoen said the defence would approach the State on some of the</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> counts to see if they could shorten the trial.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2515714\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1121\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2515714\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/guns2-1.jpg\" alt=\"firearms gang charges \" width=\"1121\" height=\"671\" /> <em>The big stockpile of firearms confiscated during a high-speed chase in Laingsburg on 9 June 2018, during which alleged gun-smuggler Anderson Padayachee was arrested. (Photo: NPA)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are going to see if we can enter into [section] 105 negotiations in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act on some of the charges and we want to deal with it this week,” Viljoen said on Monday.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prosecutor Christiaan de Jongh said the State had no objection to discussions, but needed the proposals from the defence. The sentencing on the admissions of guilt, De Jongh said, would be dealt with at the end of proceedings.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges.</span>\r\n<h4><strong>66 charges</strong></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee faces 66 charges, including eight counts of murder, five counts of attempted murder, and charges for violating the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and several crimes under the Firearms Control Act.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the heart of the charges against Padayachee is that he allegedly sold firearms to the notorious Terrible Josters gang between </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2018 and 2019. These weapons were allegedly used by the Terrible Josters gang to murder eight people.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Padayachee did not directly pull the trigger, the State argues the firearms registered to Padayachee’s dealership, Anderson’s Guns and Ammo in Merebank, Durban, were allegedly used to commit these murders.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-12-20-durban-gun-dealer-facing-66-charges-after-allegedly-supplying-cape-towns-gangs-with-firearms/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Durban gun dealer facing 66 charges after allegedly supplying Cape Town’s gangs with firearms</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Terrible Josters is a powerful gang in Cape Town, with a membership of an estimated 10,000 and strongholds in Delft, Wesbank, Elsies River and Kleinmond. In 2020, the Western Cape High Court </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-13-blow-to-10000-strong-cape-gang-as-leader-and-lieutenants-sentenced-to-life-behind-bars/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sentenced its leader</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Horatio “Voudie” Solomon and several top members of The Terrible Josters gang to life imprisonment.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A second matter involving the gang relates to its leader Elton Lenting and 19 other members who face a total of 145 charges, which include 10 murders. This matter is being heard in the Western Cape High Court.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-21-gang-bosses-face-145-charges-including-10-murders-for-decade-of-terror-in-western-cape/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gang bosses face 145 charges — including 10 murders — for decade of terror in Western Cape</span></a>\r\n<h4><b>‘Panic mode’</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trial of Padayachee is scheduled to be finalised in the court’s second term at the end of June 2025.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De Jongh and two colleagues then have to prepare for the trial of </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vereeniging arms dealer Alan Raves, a firearms collector and heritage firearms expert and inspector, and Irshaad Laher, a self-employed businessman, for allegedly supplying thousands of stolen SAPS firearms to criminal gangs between 2006 and 2015.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disgraced former Colonel Chris Prinsloo, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2016 on more than 20 counts of racketeering, corruption and money laundering, allegedly sold them these firearms. He was </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-10-16-officials-mum-top-cop-sentenced-to-18-years-for-flooding-cape-flats-with-illegal-guns-is-out-on-parole-after-four-years/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">released on parole</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in April 2020. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De Jongh also expressed concern that if the Padayachee trial was not completed by the end of June, it might be postponed indefinitely because the State would be preparing for the lengthy Raves and Lahar case.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We are already in a panic mode about that. Because we have to finish by the end of the second term, because in the third term, the prosecution must prepare for a trial starting by the fourth term (7 October 2024).</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The matter of the Raves and Laher, a similar type of case involving firearms allegedly sold to gangsters … also is going to be a protracted trial. If that is the case, I don’t know how long this case is going to take. So what it means is that the Padayachee case has to stop.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judge Thulare said: “The matter of Mr Padayachee has been allocated time, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this matter is completed within that time frame, because there are other plans for us in terms of the service that we provide to the communities through the criminal justice system.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I don’t expect this matter to outlive its span, we must finalise it before or around the time that was allocated.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The matter will resume on Tuesday, 11 February. </span><b>DM</b>",
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The big stockpile of firearms confiscated during a high-speed chase in Laingsburg on 9 June 2018, during which alleged gun-smuggler Anderson Padayachee was arrested. (Photo: NPA)