Oilgate businessman and axed deputy president have moved into exclusive Johannesburg suburbs

Two of the most controversial personalities in South Africa, oil trader Sandi Majali and disgraced politician Jacob Zuma, have moved their families into multimillion-rand mansions in Johannesburg.

The Sunday Times this week confirmed that Majali’s new property in Sandown, northern Johannesburg, was sold by its previous owners for R3.2-million. The controversial ANC funder moved in about two months ago.

He also has a R2.7-million property in the upmarket suburb of Houghton, which was registered in his name in August last year.

Last week the Sunday Times won a legal challenge to publish details of Majali’s background including a picture of his rural homestead in the Eastern Cape.

Residents of Johannesburg’s Forest Town, are meanwhile rubbing shoulders with the former deputy president.

Zuma — who was sacked in June from his R870000-a-year job after being charged with corruption around the arms deal — has settled into a R3.6-million house in Epping Road.

Owner and businessman Mohamed Sayed Hoorzook, yesterday confirmed that he was negotiating its sale.

On Thursday, final security arrangements were being made around Zuma’s new 3000m² home.

Majali’s double-storey home is one of a four-unit cluster complex, barely visible from quiet Linden Street in Sandown.

It boasts a garden with river frontage, guest wing with its own private lounge, covered terrace with built-in braai and three garages.

Majali’s lawyer, Barry Aaron, yesterday confirmed that his client had moved onto the property. “He’s renting a place there on a short-term lease.”

Aaron also said: “You [Sunday Times] people are so arrogant, I can’t wait to go to war with you.

“What do you want? Now I’m on my time, what do you want. Your facts are wrong, go ahead and publish, I’m going to be suing you anyway.”

Aaron asked for Majali to be left alone.

Last week the Sunday Times reported that Majali, CEO of Imvume Management, amassed a fortune through oil company Montega Trading and, later, Imvume Management.

He has been in the limelight since disclosures of his close ties with two top ANC officials and former Iraqi Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.

Majali’s company won a contract to supply the government with crude oil worth R1-billion, but landed in hot water after it emerged that he had made an R11-million donation to the ANC following a deal with PetroSA.

An inquiry by Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana later found there was nothing irregular about PetroSA advancing Imvume R15-million to pay its supplier.

Hoorzook, who bought the Forest Town property Zuma has moved into for R3.7-million in December 2003, said yesterday he was not in a position to discuss the “private” sale of his house.

“I own the house and have given occupation to the future buyer, which is a company.

“Like you’ve traced me, you can trace the buyer and you can make your own conclusions,” he said.

The five-bedroom house went on sale seven months ago. The price of the property, described in newspaper advertisements as an “entertainer’s paradise”, was dropped from R4.9-million in February to R4.6-million in April. The double-storey house, built on a ridge, has a rock pool and three garages.

This week the Sunday Times saw a police car and several vehicles driven by Zuma’s security personnel lining the pavement on Epping Road. Motorists have only one access to the “temporarily” closed street, on which there are 19 luxury homes.

Zuma, who has often joked about his financial woes, owns a R1.3-million, 12-unit, village-style compound in Nkandla in rural northern KwaZulu-Natal.

At a packed fundraising event for the Jacob Zuma RDP Education Trust in November last year he joked that he was cash-strapped.

He spoke about having been approached for money by a poor family in Nkandla: “I had no money. As you know, I’m one of the poorest politicians.”

With acknowledgements to Simpiwe Piliso and the Sunday Times.