Johannesburg – Former president Kgalema Motlanthe has resigned with immediate effect as trustee of Sithole Family Trust.
Speaking to Sunday World, Motlanthe said he made the decision after learning through our story last week that the trust has been taken to the Joburg High Court by Lawtons Incorporated, which trades as Lawtons Africa, after it failed to settle the law firm’s legal bill of over R600 000.
“When Sithole approached me to be a trustee of his family trust, I agreed because he told me that he wanted me to take decisions on behalf of his kids when he is incapacitated, or no longer of sound mind, or if he departs from this world before me,” he said.
Motlanthe said he was disappointed to learn through Sunday World that the trust has been engaging in business dealings and used the services of lawyers and failed to pay them.
“He didn’t tell me that he was going to use the trust as a vehicle to pursue business interests. Had I known or had he told me of his intention, I would not have agreed to be a trustee of this trust,” he said.
He added that he approached his lawyers, after learning of the lawsuit, to engage Sithole on the matter and to also inform him of his resignation from the trust.
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Motlanthe’s lawyer, Maurizio Maria no, of Biccari Bollo Mariano Incorporated, echoed his sentiments and added that the former ANC secretary-general was not Sithole’s business partner and he did not owe the law firm any money.
“President Motlanthe is not a business partner of Mr Sithole and has no knowledge of the matter between Hogan Lovells/Lawton’s Incorporated and the Sithole Family Trust.
President Motlanthe has never received any correspondence or documents pertaining to this matter.
President Motlanthe does not owe any money to anyone,” he said.
In the papers, the law firm said the services it rendered included drafting of notes on encumbrance of mining rights and after ending meetings with business rescue practitioners for the purpose of organising creditors’ meeting.
The firm also received and perused documentation from clients relating to a court order and a mining and rehabilitation agreement.
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It oversaw the registration of the trust’s AJ Security with Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority.
The firm submitted invoices to the two to remit payment within 14 days but got zilch. Sithole could not be reached for comment.
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