Carl Niehaus, the founder of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (Areta) . Picture: Gallo Images/Volksblad/Mlungisi Louw
Carl Niehaus, the founder of the African Radical Economic Transformation Alliance (Areta) said he is distraught by the passing of his mother Magrietha ‘Maxie’ Niehaus.
Magrietha passed away last night aged 94.
Niehaus shared the news of his mother’s death on X.
“It is with a broken heart that I inform all my comrades and friends that my beloved Mamma, Magrietha ‘Maxie’ Niehaus (né Arlow), passed away at the age of 94 years, 7 months and 7 days, last night at 23:00.”
“In her last days my dear mother suffered much, may her beautiful soul rest in peace. I am heartbroken,” he posted.
Niehaus asked for family space to mourn his mother’s death.
“Please, let my family and me mourn our deep loss in dignity and peace. For my beloved sister and me to lose our Mother leaves an everlasting void,” he asked.
No details of a memorial service or funeral have been posted by Niehaus.
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Niehaus is no stranger to controversy. In 2017, Niehaus “killed off” his mother in a hoax to wriggle out of paying a R4.3-million debt.
Niehaus owed the money to a former landlord for the rental of two apartments in Sandton, damage to expensive furnishings and artwork, unpaid concierge charges and interest, according to Times Live.
In a bid to avoid legal action, he claimed that his mother had died and he would soon receive a generous inheritance, 90% of which would allow him to settle the debt.
His mother, Magrietha Niehaus, 88, is in fact alive and living in a home for the elderly in Johannesburg, other family members said.
Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) said it saddened by the passing of Professor Shadrack Billy Otwori Gutto.
The scholar and lecturer of African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa (Unisa) died at his home in Joburg last week. He was 72 years old.
Gutto was a prominent scholar and devoted naturalised South African citizen.
“His journey from Kenya to South Africa, marked by academic excellence and a commitment to justice, has left an indelible mark on our nation and the world,” the ANC said in a statement,
Born in Kisii, Kenya in 1951, Gutto embarked on a remarkable academic journey that would span continents and enrich countless lives.
He pursued an LL.B. (Hons.) at the University of Nairobi in 1975, laying the foundation for a career that would blend law, diplomacy, and human rights advocacy.
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