Gayadin drew fame, infamy
LOVE him or hate him, Pietermaritzburg businessman Sunny Gayadin left an indelible mark on those he knew, and testimony to that were the thousands of people who attendant his funeral on Saturday.
The 69-year-old businessman was found dead on Friday afternoon on a property he was developing on the Victoria Country Club estate.
His son, Niresh, made the discovery after the alarm was raised at about 2pm when Gayadin was nowhere to be found.
It is believed that on Friday, Gayadin, who battled clinical depression, drove to the building site, left his keys and cellphone in his white Toyota bakkie and then went to the building site where he apparently shot himself in the mouth.
Niresh found his father lying towards the back of the site, having suffered a single gun shot wound. Gayadin’s 9mm pistol was found next to his body. Police and the family do not suspect foul play.
Gayadin, famous for his astute business sense and fearless position to take on “anyone and everyone”, was best known for his role in the casino industry, his Bollywood show promotions and property developments.
He made headlines for his two major court cases – against film-maker Anant Singh over the sale of the Natal Command site opposite Durban’s beachfront; and then when he was successfully sued by SABC journalist Gary Govindsamy for using vulgar terms against him.
In the Singh matter, the Constitutional Court eventually found that Gayadin’s company, Giant Concerts, did not have the legal standing to challenge the sale and he was ordered to pay all costs associated with the matter.
In 2014, Gayadin and his then business partner, Prakash “Jack” Maistry (who committed suicide in February last year) unsuccessfully took on the Liberty Property Group over the sale of land to the group for the development of the Liberty Midlands Mall.
Born in Greytown in 1948, Gayadin left school at an early age to earn a living. He worked at Oxenhams bakery in Pietermaritzburg and then as a truck driver for Coca-Cola (as it was known then). While working as a driver, when he finished work, he would fit peep holes on doors as a way of earning an extra income.
Niresh said his father then resigned as a driver and set up an estate agency – Prestige Properties.
“He was dynamic, hardworking and made an instant success. He became a household name for property in the city,” said Niresh, a financial broker.
Gayadin was also responsible for developing the upmarket Orient Heights suburbs where he also lived for some time. Not satisfied with being in the property industry, Gayadin ventured into the casino industry in the 1990s, operating a string of them around KwaZulu-Natal. He was instrumental in negotiating a settlement with the authorities to operate these casinos that were eventually deemed illegal.
“My dad’s passion was property and he continued to his last day developing property. He was a man who never stopped working and I don’t think he would ever have been able to retire officially,” said Niresh.
“He took on challenges and feared no one. He always fought for what he believed was an injustice and took on those challenges legally. I really don’t know of anyone who had the guts to do what he has done.
“He was a great husband, father and grandfather. He was not perfect and he had his critics, and everyone is entitled to their opinion of him.”
Extolling his father’s benevolence, Niresh said he supported many charities and never shied away from assisting those in need.
“His death is a real tragedy for us, but he battled a longterm medical condition. We do not suspect foul play, however, we await the final outcome of the inquest.
“He will be dearly missed by his family. He will always be my hero,” said a distraught Niresh.
Govindsamy, who won his R100 000 defamation case against Gayadin – who was found guilty of calling Govindsamy derogatory terms and swearing at his mother and sister – said while it was not “good to speak evil of the dead, Sunny was a despicable human being”.
“People have all done some good in their lives. My heart goes out to his family. As someone said, his reputation precedes him. I cannot forgive him for the words he used on my mother and for abusing me on the telephone all because I didn’t pander to his lies and wish to broadcast a false story.
“He was so evil that he reported me to my seniors in an attempt to have me fired. What kind of a human being does that?
“I, too, have a family – he wanted to destroy my career, my life, my family because I declined to write a false story,” said Govindsamy.
He said he aimed to pursue to extract his legal claim from Gayadin’s estate.
Gayadin was cremated on Saturday.