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Flamboyant Durban couple Shauwn and Sbu Mpisane leave the Pinetown Magistrates Court flanked by bodyguards. Photo: Puri Devjee
Durban – A day after S’bu and Shauwn Mpisane launched a blistering personal attack on Trevor White – the man appointed to take charge of their assets and who controls their purse strings – S’bu tried to smoke the peace pipe with him.
White, in his most recent affidavit filed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in the asset forfeiture matter, says S’bu “specifically told me that the allegations against me are incorrect”.
The two had met to value some vehicles which were to be restrained as part of the court order obtained by the national director of public prosecutions which authorised the seizure and preservation of assets to the value of R70 million.
Earlier in the week, White had visited the Mpisanes’ La Lucia home and had removed nine luxury vehicles.
While Shauwn was still in the dock of Durban’s commercial crime court fighting for bail in a case in which she is facing fresh charges of fraudulently securing government work, her lawyers were in the high court, fighting to get the cars back and asking for White’s removal as the curator, accusing him, in essence, of being a biased, rude, media-hungry bully.
According to White, the following day S’bu blamed this on their lawyers.
“He said the affidavit had been drafted by their legal representatives in the absence of Shauwn and she did not have an opportunity to properly consider it before signing it.”
The Mpisanes have changed lawyers and changed tack, backing off from White and attacking the granting of the entire restraint order.
But White is asking for a “special costs order” against them.
“They have unjustifiably attributed misconduct, bad faith and dishonesty to myself, members of the Asset Forfeiture Unit and Sars. This demonstrates a reckless disregard for the processes of this court and is deserving of censure,” he says.
White has also submitted his first report to the court, detailing exactly which assets – properties, vehicles and household goods – have been restrained, and placing a total value of R40.8m on them.
He said he had requested the latest financials from the Mkhimpi Family Trust – which owns five of the properties – but Shauwn had told him that these had not been drawn up since the inception of the trust in March 2007.
He said he had not had access to the accounting records of Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport and Zikhulise Auto Restorers to determine their profitability and if any profits could be used to secure the balance of the restraint amount.
“I am in discussion with the Mpisanes to determine what they believe is a reasonable monthly salary for them to receive for their continued work in the businesses”,” he said.
It is believed the Mpisanes want an urgent court date for the hearing, but have not yet secured one from the court.
Shauwn is facing 181 charges in three different cases which are pending before the courts.
The Mercury
