12-year divorce battle: Husband’s R5.9m, R12m pension, no kids’ maintenance, and R2.9m girlfriend loan
The wife had to sell her engagement ring to make ends meet.
The Johannesburg High Court has described the divorce proceedings between a husband and wife as "protracted and acrimonious" due to the lengthy and contentious nature of the case. The couple first initiated divorce proceedings in January 2014, with multiple trial dates being postponed over the following years. The most recent trial date was set for 31 August 2026, but the husband's failure to comply with a court order resulted in yet another postponement.
The wife sought financial support to cover her legal costs, as her own finances were described as "dire" - she had no assets and was facing eviction due to her inability to pay the rent for her parents' home. Her monthly expenses, including the husband's ordered maintenance for the children, amounted to R65,495. She also calculated the costs for the children from November 2023 to May 2026 to be R1.57 million, covering school fees, medical aid, clothing, groceries, and other expenses.
The husband contested the application and sought maintenance, a contribution towards his own trial costs, and other ancillary relief. The court examined his financial position, finding that he had the means to contribute towards the wife's legal costs. The husband's case included unexplained deposits of R5.9 million into his bank account, an undisclosed annuity payment, a credit of R1 million, cash deposits totaling R139,900, a Body 20 franchise allegedly bought for his girlfriend, a shareholders' loan of R3.4 million, inheritance, a property in the United Kingdom, a watch collection, and a flat in Cape Town.
The court dismissed his maintenance and legal fee claims, ordering him to pay the R670,000 in divorce trial costs into the trust account of the wife's attorneys.
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