A bitter public feud between businesswoman Happy Simelane and reality star Melany “Mel” Viljoen has escalated dramatically, with Simelane threatening to drag Viljoen to the High Court unless she retracts what are described as “false, malicious and defamatory” allegations.
Through her attorneys, Simelane has sent Viljoen a formal letter of demand accusing her of waging a calculated campaign to destroy her reputation through social media posts and videos.
The letter, dated July 14, gives Viljoen seven days to remove the allegedly defamatory content, issue a public apology and undertake never to publish similar statements again, failing which Simelane intends seeking R1-million in damages, an interdict and punitive legal costs.
Simelane denies scam allegations
At the centre of the dispute are claims allegedly made by Viljoen accusing Simelane of scamming women through the controversial Longrich business, linking her to QZ Asset Management and suggesting she knowingly associated with convicted fraudster Thabo Bester.
According to the legal letter, Simelane “unequivocally denies” ever engaging in fraudulent conduct involving Longrich.
“The assertion that our client engaged in a ‘scam’ is defamatory per se, as it imputes dishonesty, fraud and criminality to her without any factual or legal basis,” the attorneys state.
‘QZ Asset Management claims untrue’
The lawyers further reject allegations that Simelane owned or operated QZ Asset Management.
“Our client has never owned, controlled or operated QZ Asset Management,” the letter reads, arguing that linking her to the company falsely exposes her to public suspicion and damages her professional reputation.
The legal battle also revisits Simelane’s past association with Thabo Bester, one of South Africa’s most notorious convicted criminals.
Simelane’s lawyers argue that Viljoen allegedly shared content that created the misleading impression that Simelane knowingly associated with Bester while aware of his true identity.
According to the letter, Simelane only discovered Bester’s real identity at a later stage and subsequently addressed the matter publicly, including participating in the Netflix documentary about the case.
The attorneys claim Viljoen’s content omitted crucial context and unfairly portrayed Simelane in a damaging light.
In the letter, Simelane’s legal team accuses Viljoen of conducting “an unlawful and malicious campaign” intended to damage Simelane’s dignity, professional standing and business interests.
The demands include:
- The immediate removal of all allegedly defamatory videos, posts and comments.
- A prominent public apology and retraction across the same social media platforms.
- An undertaking not to publish further allegedly defamatory statements.
- Written confirmation that Viljoen will refrain from making similar allegations in future.
Should Viljoen fail to comply within seven days, Simelane says she will institute High Court proceedings seeking an interdict, R1-million in damages for reputational and commercial harm, and a punitive costs order.
At the time of publication, Viljoen had not publicly responded to the letter of demand.
- Businesswoman Happy Simelane has threatened reality star Melany "Mel" Viljoen with a High Court lawsuit over alleged defamatory social media posts.
- Simelane's attorneys accuse Viljoen of falsely claiming Simelane scammed women through Longrich, was linked to QZ Asset Management, and associated knowingly with convicted fraudster Thabo Bester.
- Simelane denies all fraud allegations, denies owning or operating QZ Asset Management, and says she only found out about Bester's identity later, opposing Viljoen's portrayal as misleading and malicious.
- The legal demand requires Viljoen to remove defamatory content, issue a public apology, and cease similar statements within seven days or face a R1-million damages claim, an interdict, and punitive costs.
- Viljoen had not responded publicly to the letter by the time of publication, with the dispute highlighting a bitter public feud over reputation and business interests.
A bitter public feud between businesswoman Happy Simelane and reality star
At the centre of the dispute are claims allegedly made by Viljoen accusing Simelane of scamming women through the controversial
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"Our client has never owned, controlled or operated QZ Asset Management," the letter reads, arguing that linking her to the company falsely exposes her to public suspicion and damages her professional reputation.
Simelane's lawyers argue that Viljoen allegedly shared content that created the misleading impression that Simelane knowingly associated with Bester while aware of his true identity.
In the letter, Simelane's legal team accuses Viljoen of conducting "an unlawful and malicious campaign" intended to damage Simelane's dignity, professional standing and business interests.
The - A prominent public apology and retraction across the same social media platforms.
- An undertaking not to publish further allegedly defamatory statements.
- Written confirmation that Viljoen will refrain from making similar allegations in future.
At the time of publication, Viljoen had not publicly responded to the letter of demand.
