WESTERN CAPE – The Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile has noted with pride the efforts of the Provincial Organised Crime Anti-Gang unit as two gang affiliates were sentenced in the past two days in two different courts.
Today, the Hermanus Regional court sentenced Ronaldo van der Berg to 55 years imprisonment for the murder of Cameroon Padaychee in December 2021. The deceased was working on a vehicle outside his residence in Gansbaai. The suspect fired several shots and killed the victim, while his two minor kids were sitting inside the vehicle. Sergeant Marlon Appolis of the Anti-Gang Unit handled the investigation and van der Berg was arrested along with three other suspects who were later released. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition. Following a plea bargain, the 24-year-male old was sentenced to 30 years for murder, 10 years for attempted murder, 10 years for illegal possession of a firearm and 5 years for illegal possession of ammunition.
In another incident, Marcelino Saxon was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the Wynberg Regional court yesterday. In June 2021, Saxon and his co-accused spotted a member of their gang group at Surran Road in Hanover Park. His alleged partner in crime handed him a firearm and instructed him to shoot at their fellow member. He shot and injured the victim who ran to a yard where women were sitting outside. The two suspects followed him with a rain of bullets, injuring one of the women’s spinal cord and another was shot in the face. The three victims were treated at a medical institution and the two women helped in identifying the suspects. Their associate refused to proceed with the case because of his gang affiliation. Marcelino Saxon pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with 4 years suspended for 5 years. His co-accused will appear in the Wynberg Regional court on Monday, 26 September 2022 for trial.

Source: South African Police Service