'Stop snogging in front of our children!'

18 December 2011 - 04:13 By BIÉNNE HUISMAN
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RESIDENTS in one of South Africa's richest streets are seething over the "obscene" behaviour of guests at a rented holiday mansion where parties, gambling, live cheetahs and al fresco sex are commonplace.

Carved into the foothills of Table Mountain, with views of Clifton's beaches, Nettleton Road is home to some of the world's rich and famous.

But the platinum street, where an Indian tycoon snapped up a R60-million property last year, is at the centre of a bitter legal row over a four-storey designer home owned by German millionaire Matthias Schmelz.

Schmelz and his beauty-queen wife, Fernanda Alves, welcomed journalists to the mansion to launch his get-rich-quick book, The Millionaire Maker, five years ago. Its R7700-a-copy price tag raised eyebrows.

Recently, the property - with a sauna, steam room, infinity pool and staircase adorned with Irma Stern paintings - was advertised to rent at up to R13500 a night.

Earlier this year, the villa hosted leggy beauties of the US reality TV series Clifton Shores.

But neighbours have since complained bitterly to the letting agents about loud music, "extremely intoxicated" guests and their "obscene" behaviour late into the night. Police and security companies have been summoned several times, but the shenanigans have continued.

Now the neighbours have had enough. A meat mogul, media executive, banker and two businessmen living nearby have turned to the High Court in Cape Town for some peace and quiet.

Anthony Schneiderman, a director and shareholder of Federated Meats, is spearheading the attack. He lives next door to the offending mansion with his wife and children.

In his court affidavit, he said: "Our complaints have been against loud and disruptive music, delivery trucks frequenting the area, use of the respondent's property as a party venue for hire, delivering live cheetahs to the property to amuse guests during parties, witnessing sexual behaviour in full view of our children, excessive shouting on the balcony and so forth."

He and other residents secured a temporary interdict last week after arguing that the house was zoned "for single residential purposes only". Rentals and its use as a film location were unlawful, they alleged.

The interdict allows current rental contracts to be honoured, providing "no gambling, nightclubbing parties and debauched activities take place ".

Speaking on behalf of Schmelz, attorney Jean-Claude Barrish said: "Our client is complying and intends complying with the interim court order. Our client is confident that, now that it has been granted a reasonable opportunity of obtaining the necessary details, that the honourable court will be in a position to adjudicate the matter afresh."

This week the Sunday Times was greeted at the mansion by its caretaker, Watson. He did not provide his surname.

He said new guests were expected tomorrow. A security guard said the house was known for loud parties and noise.

Backing up Schneiderman is Johannesburg fashion mogul Basil Lishansky, whose house, named "Splendido", is next to the villa.

Laduma soccer magazine chief executive officer Peter du Toit, who lives along the road, declined to comment, saying that Schneiderman represented his interests.

Property tycoon Stuart Chait, who co-founded MvelaProp with Tokyo Sexwale in 2001 and has his home on the market for R55-million, described the disturbances as "naughty" and a "sad situation".

Namibian businessman Swen Bachran and his wife, Karin, are the fifth applicants. Their home is being marketed for R35-million.

The sixth applicant is Keith Turberville, an executive director at Investec Trust, who holds a property on behalf of banker Steven Heilbron and his family, who live in London, but stay there when in Cape Town.

The case resumes in February.

Clifton Shores, meanwhile, will be launched in South Africa in May. A screening deal with a local broadcaster is on the table.

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