Businessman-turned-politician Wiseman Sbusiso Mpisane says divorcing his long-time partner and multi-millionaire Shauwn Mkhize, better known as MaMkhize, has not left him high and dry.
“I have survived from the inception of the divorce, and I still do. The final divorce settlement was in line with the constitution and laws of the country,” explained Mpisane in an exclusive interview with Sunday World.
“However, our divorce papers were clear that our marriage was irreparable based on the reasons known to her since she was the author of the divorce.”
Although the once powerful Durban couple filed for divorce in 2018, the finalisation of the divorce was only settled last week by the Durban High Court.
Independent liquidator
“It is ordered that the bonds of marriage subsisting between the plaintiff and defendant be and are hereby dissolved,” reads the court judgment.
“The parties agree to appoint a mutually acceptable independent liquidator who is a qualified practising authority and advocate who has been in practice for at least 10 years.
“He will identify, collect, and distribute any assets of the joint estate equally between the parties.”
The court also ruled that each party shall solely be responsible for their debts. Mpisane is a former eThekwini metro police dog unit officer.
After spending 13 years at the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal, he joined his then-wife Mkhize to run a profitable enterprise registered under the Zikhulise cleaning, maintenance and transport business.
The company has amassed wealth by scoring millions of rands worth of tenders in various municipalities and government departments.
Mkhize and Mpisane were known as Durban’s high-flying couple, hosting lavish parties until their nasty divorce.
Police raid MaMkhize’s home
Meanwhile, this week the SA Revenue Service (SARS) and the police raided the Durban home of Mkhize.
SARS said in a statement that the raid was “a significant development in our effort to combat tax evasion and criminal activity that undermines the country’s economy”.
“The KwaZulu-Natal local division of the Durban High Court has granted a preservation order and a search-and-seizure warrant in the case involving the commissioner for SARS versus Shauwn Mkhize and others,” said SARS boss Edward Kieswetter.
“This decision is a crucial step in SARS’ strategic objective to make it increasingly hard and costly for taxpayers who wilfully and intentionally engage in criminal activity.
“Over the past few years, SARS has been diligently investigating and cracking down on the construction industry so that it complies with tax laws.”
No one is above the law
The taxman said the recent enforcement action was one of many steps that SARS has taken in collaboration with the police and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation to uphold the integrity of South Africa’s tax system.
“The orders were obtained to prevent the dissipation of realisable assets, which could hinder the collection of taxes, and to secure evidence of potential non-compliance with tax laws administered by the SARS commissioner.”
Kieswetter expressed gratitude to law-enforcement agencies — “the South African Police Service, Hawks, and SARS members — for exemplary cooperation that accomplished this assignment under difficult conditions”.
“SARS will not waiver in executing its mandate without fear, favour, or prejudice regardless of any person’s standing in society,” said Kieswetter.
“No one is above the law; it is therefore critically important that SARS acts emphatically to ensure that all meet their legal obligations.”
