Deputy President Paul Mashatile has come under scrutiny after declaring two luxury properties worth about R65 million, despite earning just over R3 million annually, including a Constantia estate in Cape Town he previously claimed was owned by his son-in-law’s company.
Within a year, Mashatile declared at least two properties, including a Cape Town estate in Constantia, which he had previously denied owning.
Mashatile previously said the Constantia property is registered under a company owned by his son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, and was purchased in May 2023.
Previously, in an October 2024 media statement, his office claimed he owned no properties in Cape Town, except for a house in Kelvin that he and his late wife purchased through a bank loan. The declarations have reignited public debate about the wealth of public servants.
Mashatile earns R3.16 million annually following a 2.5% increase gazetted by the Presidency in April 2024.
This includes a basic salary (60% of the total package) and R120,000 per year in non- pensionable cash allowance.
Last year, the Presidency approved a 2.5% salary increase for ministers, the deputy president, deputy ministers, members of parliament, and other public representatives, effective retroactively from April 1, 2024.
Other perks of office include government-funded housing, vehicles, travel benefits, and VIP protection services, all funded by taxpayers.
Despite these benefits, critics argue it remains unclear how Mashatile could afford such high- value properties on his official salary alone.
Mashatile’s office has consistently denied that he personally owns the luxury properties.
With the Waterfall case, his spokesperson Keith Khoza said that the home was purchased jointly by his sons and son-in-law, Nceba Nonkwelo, through a normal bank loan and is used as a family residence due to its enhanced security.
The office also denied reports that his sons, Thabiso Mashatile and Tinyiko Mvelase, received tenders from departments Mashatile once oversaw while in the Gauteng government.
“No provincial or national department under the Deputy President’s oversight has ever awarded, been accused of awarding, or investigated for awarding tenders to any companies linked to his
family,” Khoza said.
Khoza also denied past claims that Nonkwelo is under investigation by the Hawks for funding the Constantia purchase, saying that he is a businessman from an established entrepreneurial family.
He added that Nonkwelo’s business activities are independent and not tied to government tenders, except for a 2013 loan from the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF).
That loan and the related project were investigated by the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements in 2023.
“The Deputy President had no involvement in the loan, which was issued during his tenure as Minister of Arts and Culture and not while he was in the Gauteng government,” said Khoza. Meanwhile, questions remain about how Nonkwelo acquired money to purchase a nearly R30- million home in Cape Town.
According to reports, the Hawks are investigating the source of the funds used for purchasing the R28.9 million property.
IOL News has reached out to the Hawks’ national spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo for comment which will be added once received.