The owners of a luxury Bryanston home valued at R8.9 million say they have been left financially and emotionally drained after renting out their dream property to a tenant they now describe as a nightmare, who they claim has not paid rent for months and has run up municipal bills of more than R350 000.
At the centre of the dispute is Emile de Witt, who leased the modern Wilton Avenue property for R45 000 a month. The owners allege that he stopped paying rent shortly after moving in and has refused to vacate the house, forcing them into a long and costly legal battle that is now set to continue into 2026.
The matter comes amid growing concern about the illegal occupation of properties in some of Johannesburg’s most affluent suburbs. Earlier this year, Johannesburg Community Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku conducted a raid on another luxury home in Bryanston, where about 150 people had allegedly moved in while the owner was on holiday. At the time, Tshwaku said at least 10 properties in the wider Sandton area had been illegally occupied.
The Wilton Avenue property was leased to De Witt, who has drawn the attention of private investigator Mike Bolhuis. Bolhuis claimed De Witt should never have passed even a basic background check by an estate agent.
Bolhuis said De Witt had a reputation for allegedly taking over homes, land and even vehicles, before selling or letting them under the pretence of being the owner. He added that De Witt had been charged with several crimes, some related to property fraud.
“All the documentation that he presents is false. All of it. His CV and whatever information he presents must be checked,” Bolhuis said.
He went further, warning that anyone dealing with De Witt should first conduct an “evaluation, risk analysis, identification, platform profile, cyber track and trace, forensic, financial, platform and profile investigation before dealing with him in any way”.
Two independent police sources told News24 that more than 20 charges were laid against De Witt in a single year at just two police stations in the Vaal Triangle. They said numerous cases had also been opened against him in Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Free State in recent years.
In July, The Citizen reported that De Witt and Janri Verster, who is believed to live with him, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on fraud and theft charges. According to the report, De Witt was accused of selling a 1.2-hectare plot in Mullerstuine in 2021, despite not owning the land.
The 63-year-old owner of the Wilton Avenue home, Veena Jog, said she had no knowledge of De Witt’s alleged past when she and her husband agreed to rent the property to him. The couple live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but fell in love with South Africa during a holiday visit.
Jog said the Bryanston home was meant to be where they would spend their retirement years. Until then, they decided to rent it out.
The house, which sits in one of Johannesburg’s most sought-after suburbs, features three double bedrooms upstairs, a guest bedroom downstairs, a four-car garage, a rim-flow swimming pool and an open-plan chef’s kitchen. Downstairs also includes a gentleman’s study, a wine cellar and a pyjama lounge. The property is situated down the road from controversial businessman Zunaid Moti’s home, which previously made headlines after residents objected to a backyard helipad because of noise and disruption.
Jog said De Witt was their second tenant. After the Covid-19 pandemic affected the economy, De Witt offered to buy the house, which caught the couple’s attention.
According to Jog, he proposed paying six months’ rent upfront before purchasing the property. The first month’s rent and the deposit were paid. However, the second month’s rent arrived late, and the third month was only partially paid after they agreed to cover some alterations requested by De Witt.
“That was the last payment we ever received,” Jog alleged.
She said the situation worsened when municipal accounts began arriving with shocking figures. One City of Johannesburg bill, seen by News24, reflected more than R350 000 in unpaid water and electricity charges, including interest.
“I’m so stressed over what we owe the City of Johannesburg. We’re paying out of our own pockets – and we’ve never had a tenant run up such a high bill before,” Jog said.
The couple has since taken legal action to evict De Witt. The matter has been postponed and is expected to return to court on 4 February 2026.
Complicating matters further, the estate agent who initially handled the rental deal has allegedly emigrated. A current estate agent, who asked not to be named, told News24 that De Witt had previously lived in the neighbouring property but was removed after just one month. The owner of that house confirmed this but declined to give further details.
De Witt, for his part, has denied the allegations against him. He said there were two sides to every story and that he could not discuss the matter in detail as it was before court.
“There’s a court case at the moment ongoing whereby it’s clear on all parties that it’s not supposed to be public … if you do write about it, I just wanna say good luck. I’m not threatening no one. I’m not saying anything, but I don’t have anything to disclose,” he said.
He added that previous allegations had “never been proven” and cautioned the reporter to “just watch out what you say about me … until you can prove me guilty”.
“Yes, there was a problem with this house. It’s not that I mean I’ve been evicted, I have not been evicted… There is a purchase agreement, and there is a rental agreement, and the purchase agreement [trumps] the rental agreement, but I’m not gonna go into that,” De Witt said.
Addressing claims made by Bolhuis, De Witt questioned whether there was proof against him.
“Does he have proof of anything? Did any court find me guilty? I have never been found guilty because I’ve never done anything. I wouldn’t say I haven’t done anything illegal, but I’ve had paperwork covering all the allegations which I was accused of,” he said.
He also warned about publishing personal details.
“If my life [is] being threatened because of people stating where I stay and giving my FICA information, which is private, that is … gonna be a problem for someone, okay, so you can write whatever you want.
“Be aware of what you post and just make sure of your facts because I am in a place where I can also go forward with court cases, and I don’t want to do that. I’m enjoying my life. I’m doing the right thing… I’m not going anywhere. I’m not bothering anyone, except the people who have … approached you,” De Witt added.
As the legal battle drags on, Jog and her husband say they remain stuck paying mounting bills on a home they hoped would one day be their peaceful retirement haven, while they wait for the courts to decide their fate.
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