Roger Kebble's R39m bonus

A R39-million windfall from the sale of his Cape Town mansion might ease Roger Kebble's recent heart flutters.

On Tuesday the triple-storey home on the slopes of Lion's Head, in the upmarket suburb of Bantry Bay, was sold to a 33-year-old who wished to remain anonymous.

In the same week, Kebble failed to testify in the murder trial of his son, Brett, as his cardiologist had diagnosed him with having heart flutters and was worried about the "stress of being interrogated" in the witness box.

Kebble refused to tell the Sunday Times why he had sold, simply saying: "It's my business."

In 2006, several of Kebble's assets were confiscated by the South African Revenue Service, which claimed he owed millions in unpaid taxes. But the taxman eventually withdrew its claim.

Auctioneers, Auction Alliance, denied the sale was for financial reasons and said the four-bedroom house had become too big for the 70-year-old and his wife.

"The reason was down-scaling. It's too big for the two of them. It's a massive house," Ish Hendricks, head of the company's residential division in the Cape, said on Friday.

The beautiful home boasts wrap-around balconies with some of the best views of the Mother City and also features a top-of-the-range wine cellar, gym, bar, library and 14m heated swimming pool.

In addition to luxury fittings imported from Italy and an indoor lift, the property also has automated temperature control and lighting, plus "piped music".

Hendricks said since Kebble gave them the mandate to sell in July, the home had generated lots of interest locally and abroad.

"The response was tremendous. Many high-net-worth individuals made contact with us and we had our hands full dealing with individual requests. We even made travel arrangements for a buyer from Iceland who returned to Cape Town after flying out two days before," Hendricks said.

But it was an ex-South African who eventually scooped the prize property.

Lance Cohen from Seeff Properties was silent on his client's identity, saying only: "He bought it as a potential holiday home."