Mpisane houses, cars, R28m returned

For the first time in almost a year, extravagant tenderpreneur couple S'bu and Shauwn Mpisane will have unobstructed access to their properties, cars and more than R28-million in cash.

This comes after the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled on Monday that the couple, known for their lavish lifestyle, must have their assets unfrozen and returned to them by the end of the week.

In February last year the Asset Forfeiture Unit seized cars and froze cash and properties after Shauwn was charged with fraud and corruption. But in January all the charges against her were dropped.

In August last year the couple paid R5-million for some of their luxury cars to be returned, but their properties and about R28.9-million in cash remained frozen.

Court-appointed curator Trevor White said yesterday: "I just have to return the money. When it comes to the properties, it's just a matter of telling the Deeds Office that the title deeds no longer have restrictions on them."

Among the nine properties frozen were their R15.5-million main house in La Lucia, an R8.5-million Umhlanga apartment, a sea-facing apartment in La Mercy, north of Durban, bought for R2-million in 2007, and two vacant sites worth R5-million at Zinkwazi Beach, north of Durban.

Lawyer Shaukat Khan said yesterday that the couple were "relieved" that the matter had been finalised.

The Mpisanes made their money through state contracts, winning more than R500-million in state tenders, including from the eThekwini and KwaDukuza municipalities.

S'bu is a former eThekwini Metro police officer and Shauwn is the daughter of late ANC stalwart and Durban city councillor Florence Mkhize.

The couple regularly throw over-the-top parties at their La Lucia home and can count formernational police commissioner Bheki Cele and celebrity power couple Connie and Shona Ferguson as friends.

The couple bought Rolls-Royce cars valued at a combined R17-million as New Year gifts for each other. The cars, described as "batons of hope for 2014", were unveiled at their December 31 party.

S'bu told the Sunday Times in January that, despite their lavish spending, their legal woes had set them back.