Mashatile in hot water? Scrutiny over R28.9m Cape Town home he uses

Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s woes continue to mount with his son-in-law Nceba Nonkwelo allegedly fingered in the purchase of a second house last year through one of his companies, Bilcosat.  

A series of ‘Mashatile Unmasked’ exposés has put the deputy president clearly under the spotlight with reports emerging on Sunday that African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula last week said Mashatile would appear before the governing party’s integrity commission over allegations that he benefited financially from companies that received government tenders.

Swanky mansion

In the latest instalment of a series of investigations by News24, it was found Mashatile allegedly uses a swanky R28.9 million, seven-bedroom house in the luxurious suburb of Constantia, Cape Town owned by Nonkwelo. 

It was bought just three months after Mashatile moved into an R37 million home in Waterfall, Johannesburg – also paid for by Nonkwelo through another company.  

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According to News24, between March and May 2023, Nonkwelo, through his business entities, funded the purchase of properties which would be for Mashatile’s ultimate benefit, worth an astonishing R65.9 million. 

This is despite Nonkwelo owing roughly R7 million to the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF) for a failed social housing project in Johannesburg.

Mashatile’s spokesperson, Vukani Mde, denied the deputy president was making use of the home, but it is understood a Presidential Protection Service detail is stationed outside the house around the clock.

Nonkwelo has been married to Mashatile’s daughter, Palesa, since at least 2006.

The source of Nonkwelo’s wealth remains opaque. Previously he and Thabiso Mashatile, one of the deputy president’s sons, said they were property developers, and it is believed Nonkwelo owns two Sasol fuel stations, according to the publication.

Property deal

Mashatile has also been implicated in the procurement of an R90 million land deal by a company which has reportedly donated millions to the ANC with claims property development company Valumax pocketed millions from the land deal with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements in November 2022.

Valumax reportedly bought 26 pieces of land in Pienaarspoort from 18 property owners for R188.7 million and then sold it to the department for R278.8 million the same day.

The department confirmed the land deal with Valumax.

Mashatile’s former girlfriend Gugu Nkosi, from whom the deputy president claimed to have sought refuge in the R37 million Waterfall estate, allegedly served as the “link”.

Edwin Sodi

Last year Gauteng MEC for Human Settlements and Infrastructure Lebogang Maile ordered the Board of Directors of the GPF to undertake an urgent investigation into the R37 million Waterfall mansion linked to Mashatile.

It was also revealed that Mashatile made frequent use of multimillion-rand Cape Town mansions of state capture-linked tenderpreneur Edwin Sodi, as well as businessman Ndavhe Mareda who received substantial Eskom coal supply contracts.

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