The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) seized more than R60 million in assets and cash from Berdine Odendaal, the late Markus Jooste’s girlfriend.
Also read: Markus Jooste: FSCA not deterred to recover R475 million penalty
Fundi Tshazibana, the deputy governor of the Prudential Cluster of the Sarb, says the funds and property were forfeited to the State.
This includes:
- An amount of R12 402 000, capital standing to the credit of Odendaal, held with Absa Bank
- An amount of R26 580 000, capital standing to the credit of Odendaal, also held with Absa.
- An amount of R 1 118 110.93, capital standing to the credit of Odendaal, held at Capitec Bank.
- An amount of R998 015.80, capital standing to the credit of Odendaal, also held at Capitec.
- An amount of R1 113 354.02, capital standing to the credit of Odendaal, held in a Standard Bank account.
- A property in the Val de Vie luxury estate in the Western Cape, valued at R18 million.
In March, Jooste died by suicide as law enforcement authorities were about to arrest him. He died on the same day that the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) announced the results of its investigation into the collapse of Steinhoff International Holdings NV.
He was fined the administrative penalty of R475 million.
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IOL reports that Jooste paid 12 loans to Odendaal to the value of R60.5 million from his horse-racing business, Mayfair Speculators.
In May 2021, the Reserve Bank placed a preservation order on these funds. However, this led to court action between Odendaal and the Sarb.
In February, Odendaal filed a court application with the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), requesting that the Sarb give her R150 000 a month to cover her expenses.
According to her application, Odendaal needed R70 000 to stable her polo ponies, R10 000 a month for beauty treatments, vitamins and make-up, R5 000 for clothing and R4 000 to pay her domestic worker.
According to IOL, she is not destitute, as she owns a house in Pretoria and a stand at the Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in Limpopo.
It is not yet clear whether these properties will be seized.
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Picture: Brenton Geach / Gallo Images