[imagesource: Tiyese Jeranji / People’s Post]
Perhaps it’s too little, too late, but at least we know that measures are being taken to recoup some (a tiny percentage) of the Gupta family’s criminal gains.
Earlier this month, around R520 million in assets was seized, belonging to the Gupta family, as well as family business associate Iqbal Sharma, and his wife, Tarina Patel .
That included the Saxonwold Gupta mansion, Patel’s mansion in Morningside, Johannesburg, and the Gupta Constantia mansion.
The Morningside mansion was featured on Top Billing , which is really rubbing South Africa’s noses in it, although karma struck when that TV appearance was cited as having helped investigators track down at least R500 000 worth of moveable assets .
TimesLIVE now reports that the Constantia home “is sinking into dilapidation” as the thatch roof caves in, balconies rot, and fittings crack.
The image up top shows the entrance back in 2017. This below, taken by Esa Alexander, shows it now, with some of the damage to the thatch roof visible on the left-hand side:
Image: Esa Alexander / TimesLIVE
At one stage, Mark Thatcher, the son of the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, called it home.
The property was bought by the Guptas for R17 million in 2005.
More from that TimesLIVE report: Auctioneers inspected the property this week ahead of a likely sale in execution as the state seeks to recoup some of the Guptas’ ill-gotten gains. The property is one of several that have been attached by the Asset Forfeiture Unit.
The National Prosecuting Authority said it would take charge of repairs to the building. “The curator is aware of the need for maintenance/repairs to the thatch at the Constantia property,” said NPA Investigative Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka.
A visit to the property this week revealed the extent of neglect, which has angered neighbours in Dawn Avenue, home to some of Cape Town’s wealthiest residents. Those residents were said to be horrified when they found out that the Guptas had a property on the street .There was another round of outrage when, at the height of the Day Zero panic, the property was found to be using large volumes of water .I suppose you win one battle, in that the crooks are gone, but you lose another, in that the crumbling mansion brings down the aesthetic of the neighbourhood.[source: timeslive ]
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