Axe-murder kids in line to inherit R200m estate

Marli van Breda and her brother Henri are the main beneficiaries of an estate valued at about R200-million, according to a source close to the family.

Top legal experts have been appointed to wrap up the estate of Martin and Teresa van Breda.

The couple and their eldest son, Rudi, 22, were killed in a brutal axe attack at their upmarket home at De Zalze Golf Estate in Stellenbosch in January.

While details of the will have not been made public, it has been confirmed that the siblings both have lawyers representing them.

The family estate is considerable.

Martin was a successful businessman, who set up businesses at home and later in Australia before returning to South Africa six months before the murder. He was the master licence partner at Engel & Völkers in Australia.

The international company, according to its website, is one of the world's "leading service companies specialising in the sale and leasehold of premium residential property, commercial real estate and yachts".

On his return, Martin had planned to open independent schools in lower-income communities, in line with his established business model.

Before moving to Australia, he established a private school enterprise, which he later sold. He owned Woodhill College in Pretoria, which was sold to Curro Holdings for R185-million in November 2011.

Their Stellenbosch home is one of the assets in the estate. The average house price on the De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate is R9-million.

This week it emerged that top advocate Martin Coetzee had been appointed by Marli's uncle Andre du Toit to represent the 16-year old.

Marli was gravely injured and left for dead during the brutal attack. She suffered blows to the head and face and her attacker had tried to sever her jugular vein.

She was discharged from hospital last week into an exclusive, high-care rehabilitation facility in the Helderberg area, where she remains under police guard.

She is a key witness to the murders. However, there is concern over her physical and mental state.

Days after the horrific murders a top criminal defence team was assembled for Henri, 20.

Henri was in the house during the murders and claimed that an axe-wielding intruder attacked him and his family. He summoned emergency services to the property more than three hours after the attack.

Advocate Pieter Botha, who represented Briton Shrien Dewani during his murder trial, said he had been appointed to represent Henri.

Du Toit is the guardian of both children, and Henri is said to be living with him.

On Friday Coetzee told Sunday Times reporters he had been appointed specifically to look after Marli's interests.

Family spokesman Ben Rootman said on Friday: "A joint will drawn up in South Africa determines that Rudell Holdings Trust and the children born from the marriage inherit the South African estate."

"The family also had assets in Australia and these have been left to the South African families and to the trustees of the trust. These assets have not yet been fully determined."

He could not say who the trustees of the estate were.

He said the will had not yet been handed in to the Master of the High Court. Lawyers say it takes up to two years to wrap up an estate under normal circumstances.

The duration of the proceedings is dependent upon the circumstances of each case, and the complexity of the surrounding legal issues.

The process will be stopped if an heir is arrested on a charge of murder and it will resume after the court case has been finalised.

If found guilty, an heir is disqualified from inheriting, according to South African law.

The process does not stop when there is a suspicion that someone might be arrested and the executors will be using their discretion to determine when and how to begin the process.