South Africa

Russian vodka, a royal bag, and a R37 million home – Paul Mashatile’s lavish lifestyle

Bianke Neethling • 26 October 2023

Deputy President Paul Mashatile declared several gifts, two houses, and a R34 million Old Mutual investment in Parliament’s latest Register of Members’ Interests for 2023.

Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests published the register today to ensure transparency and instil public trust and confidence in Parliament.

Members of Parliament are required to declare significant holdings in businesses, shares owned, and gifts received.

The register only includes declarations from Members of Parliament (MP), which means President Cyril Ramaphosa is not required to declare his interests.

The document also precludes the two cabinet ministers that the president can appoint who are not MPs.

Mashatile last appeared in the register in 2017 but did not declare anything in 2016 or 2017.

In 2014 and 2015, he declared owning 250 ordinary shares in Telkom and two properties – one 2,000 square meter house in Kelvin, Sandton and a 1,800 square meter stand in Johannesburg.

In this year’s register, Mashatile declared two properties – a 600 x 800 house in Sandton and a 1,000 x 1,200 house in Midrand.

It is surprising that the Deputy President declared the second property since News24 has previously reported that the house belongs to a company at which his son, Thabiso Mashatile, and his son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, are directors.

News24 has also reported that Mashatile and his wife, Humile Mjongile, moved into the property in March for safety reasons.

The publication reported that the house is in an exclusive estate in Waterfall City in Midrand, Johannesburg.

The property is reportedly registered on a 99-year lease to Legacy Properties. The company records revealed that Legacy’s directors are Mashatile’s son and his son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo.

Mashatile’s spokesperson, Vukani Mde, told Daily Investor that it is the Deputy President’s primary residence, and he registered it as such with both the Parliamentary and the Register of Interests.

“He does not own the property, but it is clearly an asset from which he benefits. Hence the declaration. It does not need to ‘belong’ to him for this declaration to make sense,” Mde explained.

Aside from the properties, Mashatile also declared a R34.30 million policy/investment with Old Mutual.

Mde said this investment is the Deputy President’s pension, which was paid out to him when he resigned from government employment in 2018 and was subsequently invested with Old Mutual.

The Deputy President also declared several gifts to which he did not assign value, including a bottle of vodka from the Russian Ambassador, a leather bag from Belgium’s king and queen, and a Samsung Z Fold 5 listed on Samsung’s website for around R40,000.

Mde said Mashatile did not declare the value of the gifts because he did not know their value “other than that they meet the threshold for gifts to be declared”.

The latest revelations come after numerous reports of a luxury lifestyle funded partly by people close to the Deputy President.

News24 reported that Mashatile is leading a lifestyle of luxury and excess thanks to his relationship with controversial businesspeople like Edwin Sodi and Ndavhe Mareda.

He allegedly regularly used expensive houses in Fresnaye and Clifton to entertain female friends and members of his inner circle.

The Fresnaye house was owned by Mareda, whose company received an Eskom coal contract. The Clifton house was owned by Sodi.