A Johannesburg businessman has been ordered to pay his estranged wife over R100,000 in spousal maintenance until their divorce is finalised.
The ruling was made by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg after the wife filed a Rule 43 application in which she sought interim maintenance for herself and her three children pending the finalisation of their divorce.
The couple has been embroiled in a bitter divorce since separating in 2020.
In her court papers, the wife accused the husband of sending bodyguards to her house with semi-automatic weapons, which resulted in severe trauma for her and the children.
Following the incident, she took an overdose of pills and was hospitalised for a few days. She said this too had a very dramatic and negative effect on the children.
In response, the husband accused the wife of having an affair with a fellow surgeon, distributing naked pictures of herself, and also having affairs with 10 men, and that he had a list of these men.
However, those allegations were never proven.
He further accused her of infecting him with HIV, Trichomonas, and probably syphilis as well.
The wife said that since she separated from the husband, she was struggling to meet all the financial obligations in the house.
She said she earns R58,929 as a medical director, where her husband is CEO. She also gets R2,000 from her private practice.
She has asked for a contribution towards legal costs in the amount of R830,000 and also wanted R104, 000 for maintenance.
She argued that the husband will be able to meet expenses because he is the CEO of two well-performing companies.
It was also heard that he has numerous luxurious homes and a team of security guards working day and night.
He owns luxurious cars, including an Aston Martin, Ferrari, BMW X7, M50D Sport, and an old Porsch Cayenne.
He also has access to a pool of cars.
He has about three au-pairs for the children and spends R33,000 on their salaries.
When he left the matrimonial home, he lived in a luxurious apartment.
He claims that he only paid R19,000 for the accommodation; however, the wife claims that that accommodation was closer to R60,000 every month.
She said he takes good care of himself; he has a personal trainer; he spends on cosmetic procedures; and at one point, he spent R250,000 on four suits.
The husband filed numerous supplementary affidavits criticising the wife, saying she was being untruthful because she earned much more than she disclosed.
The judge said, based on the information available, there was no evidence that the wife was being untruthful.
It was said that the husband does not take into account that she works hard and still does not earn anywhere near what he earns.
The judge said that from the evidence, it was clear that the husband was a man of considerable means, as he is a highly successful businessman, and there is no reason why he should not be able to maintain the ex-wife and the children at a level which is reasonable.
He was also ordered to pay R830,000 for her legal fees.
IOL