The Gupta family Constantia Mansion has finally been sold despite currently finding itself in a state of disrepair. The mansion which boasts seven bedroom, six bathroom and situated at an upmarket area in Cape Town has been sold. The property was on the market for R20 million, the family brought the mansion in 2005 from the son of former British Prime Minister, Mark Thetcher for R17m. The property was one of the assets seized by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in 2021.Richard Huxham-Hardie from Hardie Property, the sole agent overseeing the sale of the property in Constantia, confirmed to The South African website on Thursday, 2 March that ‘a sale has been agreed’. Earlier in the year, Hardie Property posted a minute-long video of the property, showing just how badly the mansion has deteriorated after being left vacant for several years. The pool had turned into some sickly green colour, the thatched roof has holes and the interior was severely damaged by water.
However, despite the property’s appearance, property the mansion seemingly garnered a steady stream of interest from would-be buyers. Someone had no problem parting with R20 million for it. “The structure is safe, it’s sound. So, I think someone can take the structure of it. Obviously, it needs a new roof, everything inside needs to be stripped back but I believe the structure of the property is solid,” Hardie said. Check video
We wonder who finally bought it. Back in 2019, a Gupta-owned house in highly sought-after Saxonwold in Johannesburg was sold for R2.6m. Personally I don’t think the Gupta brothers are bothered by these sales. The guys accumulated a lot of money from South Africa during the Zuma era. Zuma has enriched the brothers and now they are just cruising back at their home country. The three Gupta brothers have come to embody the corruption that blighted South African President Jacob Zuma’s almost nine-year rule. They allegedly used their friendship with the president and business ties to his son, Duduzane, to influence cabinet appointments and secure illicit state contracts worth billions of dollars. They fled South Africa for Dubai in early 2018 after the ruling party forced Zuma to quit and were charged with graft later that year.
Meanwhile, the extradition of the Gupta brothers from the UAE hangs in the balance after a major setback for the state in a trial that is the basis for their extradition application. The state’s benchmark state capture case, through which it’s seeking the extradition of two Gupta brothers, could be at risk. This after serious misgivings about the Hawks’ investigation and a financial analysis into the case.
