DA leader Mmusi Maimane listed a house worth almost R4m as one of his assets on the parliamentary registery – but it turns out he does not own the home in Claremont, Cape Town, according to Rapport newspaper.
After the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper confronted him about this, Maimane made an about-turn, saying he was actually renting the home from an old friend.
The newspaper said it came across several inconsistencies when it started investigating Maimane's home ownership.
In September 2018, Maimane declared to parliament that a home in Claremont and a home in Roodepoort both belong to him. But, according to records at the deeds office, only the Roodepoort home is registered in his and his wife's names.
The real owner of the Claremont home is a shelf company, of which Durban businessman Wessel Jacobs is the only director and shareholder. Jacobs confirmed this to Rapport. He bought the house in September 2017 for R3.85m.
Maimane told Rapport he was paying "market-related rent" but would not say how much. Asked the same question, Jacobs said although he believed in transparent, fact-based and fair journalism, he could not divulge confidential information.
Jacobs is the owner of Jacobs Capital, a private investment company in Durban.
DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi told TimesLive that Maimane declared the house in the 2017/2018 financial year and again in the 2018/2019 financial year because, "at the time, he was under the impression that he had to declare the rented property.
"It has now emerged that MPs are not obliged to declare houses they rent," said Malatsi.
*This article has been updated with comment from the DA
Mystery around Mmusi Maimane and 'his' R3.85m Claremont house - report
Image: AFP
DA leader Mmusi Maimane listed a house worth almost R4m as one of his assets on the parliamentary registery – but it turns out he does not own the home in Claremont, Cape Town, according to Rapport newspaper.
After the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper confronted him about this, Maimane made an about-turn, saying he was actually renting the home from an old friend.
The newspaper said it came across several inconsistencies when it started investigating Maimane's home ownership.
In September 2018, Maimane declared to parliament that a home in Claremont and a home in Roodepoort both belong to him. But, according to records at the deeds office, only the Roodepoort home is registered in his and his wife's names.
The real owner of the Claremont home is a shelf company, of which Durban businessman Wessel Jacobs is the only director and shareholder. Jacobs confirmed this to Rapport. He bought the house in September 2017 for R3.85m.
Maimane told Rapport he was paying "market-related rent" but would not say how much. Asked the same question, Jacobs said although he believed in transparent, fact-based and fair journalism, he could not divulge confidential information.
Jacobs is the owner of Jacobs Capital, a private investment company in Durban.
DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi told TimesLive that Maimane declared the house in the 2017/2018 financial year and again in the 2018/2019 financial year because, "at the time, he was under the impression that he had to declare the rented property.
"It has now emerged that MPs are not obliged to declare houses they rent," said Malatsi.
*This article has been updated with comment from the DA
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