The Pretoria High Court addresses financial concerns over the estate of late Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota's estate.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela / IOL
The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, delivered a scathing judgment regarding the lover of veteran politician and Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota and mother of his child, who is said to have "emptied" his current bank account weeks before his death earlier this month.
The court was also told that the lover, only identified as Adv A to protect their 16-year-old son, had failed to take the court into her confidence and explain the payments to herself from the joint bank accounts of Lekota and his wife Cynthia, starting from May last year up to February this year.
In his judgment delivered on Monday, Judge Anthony Millar said: “The death of Mr Lekota could never have provided a respite for (Adv A) in having to account for her actions with regards to the joint estate. The withdrawal of money and emptying of Mr Lekota’s current account on February 12 required explanation. None has been furnished".
Judge Millar ordered that the now deceased Lekota was of unsound mind and incapable of managing his own affairs from May last year up to his death on March 4. This will mean that all the withdrawals Adv A made from his account were without his consent.
The legal feud started off a few weeks before his death when his wife Cynthia obtained an in camera order that a curator be appointed to obtain his medical records from his treating doctor. This was done as she wanted to protect their joint assets and suspected he was not lucid.
Judge Millar ordered that the medical records be delivered to him in a sealed envelope, after which he approved the appointment of Lekota’s son, Kotane Lekota, as curator responsible for managing the estate and financial affairs.
It emerged during court proceedings that while living in Gauteng, Lekota was in a relationship with Adv A and that they had a child. Cynthia told the court that some years ago he introduced Adv A to her as his “partner” and she and the other woman over time “tolerated each other".
As his health was ailing, she visited him in August last year for his birthday at the home he shared with Adv A. Cynthia noticed he appeared not to be lucid. In January this year, she again visited him and was then able to discuss their financial affairs and the obligations of their communal estate with him.
Cynthia realised that he was not aware of their financial status and not lucid. Since they were married in community of property, this concerned her. She and Kotane accompanied Lekota and Adv A to a consultation with a neurologist the next day and Lekota gave consent that they may receive the report on his condition.
However, when they went to collect the report, they were told that consent was withdrawn. This was after Lekota and Adv A returned to the office of the specialist the previous day and spoke to the specialist in private.
This prompted the order in favour of Cynthia from Judge Millar to appoint a curator as it was clear Lekota’s mind was compromised. Apart from Kotane, another curator was also appointed to manage Lekota’s affairs and Adv A was informed about this. She was requested to meet with the curators regarding Lekota’s banking affairs, which she did not do, nor did she furnish the requested details regarding the finances.
It was meanwhile revealed that R600,000 was paid from Lekota’s account to Adv A’s account from March last year to February 2 this year for “joint household payments. Between April 2024 to February 12 this year, more than R1 million was paid to her. It was also revealed that from the time she was notified about the appointment of the curators on February 11, R250,000 was transferred to her attorneys and R150,000 to her property account.
Judge Millar meanwhile referred his judgment regarding her to the Legal Practice Council Gauteng and to the Johannesburg Society of Advocates. and slapped her with a punitive costs order.
zelda.venter@inl.co.za