Paul Mashatile is staying in a R37m Waterfall mansion bought by his son-in-law Nceba Nonkwelo – who has received funding from Gauteng government entities – and his son, Thabiso

Paul Mashatile is staying in a R37-million home bought by his son-in-law Nceba Nonkwelo – who has received funding from Gauteng government entities – and his son, Thabiso.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately: from allegations of tenderpreneur acquaintances assisting him to maintain an opulent lifestyle, including payments to girlfriends and stays in their luxury homes, to his blue light brigade heavies assaulting three military police trainees last week.

It has now come to light that Mashatile is living in a R37-million house in an exclusive Waterfall estate in Midrand, Johannesburg. The mansion is owned by his son-in-law and one of his children. The first report in News24’s “Mashatile Unmasked” exposé series alleged that the deputy president made frequent use of the multimillion-rand Cape Town mansions of state capture-linked tenderpreneur Edwin Sodi, as well as businessman Ndavhe Mareda who received substantial Eskom coal supply contracts.

The property is registered on a 99-year lease to Legacy Properties, deeds records show. According to company records, the directors of Legacy are Mashatile’s son, Thabiso, and his son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, who is married to his daughter, Palesa who has been married since at least 2006.

Legacy Properties funded the purchase with a loan from another of Nonkwelo’s companies, Nonkwelo Investment Holdings (NIH), and a R37-million bond was registered in NIH’s name, according to deeds office records.

The Waterfall land is owned by the Waterfall Islamic Institute. The Attacq Waterfall Investment Company (AWIC), which is owned by Attacq, a JSE-listed capital growth fund in the real estate sector, has been given a 99-year lease on the land to develop and run the property.

The development, which will take between 12 and 15 years to complete, will comprise commercial and retail developments, surrounded by secure residential estates, retirement villages, a Netcare hospital and schools, including a Reddam House private school with the closest shopping mall being The Mall of Africa.