South Africa is selling off three-multimillion-rand mansions owned by the infamous Gupta brothers, a trio of influential Indian-born businessmen involved in a corruption scandal that sparked the country’s worst political and economic crisis since the end of Apartheid. Atul, Rajesh and Ajay Gupta began buying the properties in 2006.
There, in Saxonwold, one of Johannesburg’s most affluent neighbourhoods, they entertained top politicians and businessmen for at least a decade.
As the public profile of Gupta grew, so did allegations that they had undue influence which they used for their own enrichment.
The brothers fled to Dubai before the ruling African National Congress in 2018 forced Jacob Zuma to quit as president, partly due to his links to the family.
The empty compound, protected by private armed guards, became a symbol of high levels of corruption in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has estimated that more than 500 billion rand ($28 billion) was plundered during his predecessor Zuma’s tenure.
During a Saturday viewing of the compound organised by the auction house, Park Village Auctions, the lavish lifestyle of the brothers was on display, including a Cartier jewellery catalogue, a Royal Caribbean cruise brochure and a hand-written inventory of fine whiskeys and champagne.
The three properties, which have different title deeds and will be auctioned separately, have a combined municipal value of about 64 million rand, and are likely to sell at a “bargain price,” according to auctioneer Clive Lazarus.
Proceeds from the auction will help settle claims by creditors since Confident Concept Pty Ltd., the Gupta-linked company that owns the properties, entered into a local form of bankruptcy protection in 2018.
Atul was the first of the brothers to arrive in South Africa in 1993, just as the country was transitioning to democracy. He founded Sahara Computers Ltd. a year later which imported Windows PCs, and soon his brothers joined him.