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The polo-playing high life of Markus Jooste’s girlfriend has come to an end after the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) seized close to R60 million in assets and cash from the former banker’s mistress.

Deputy Governor of the Prudential Cluster of the Sarb, Fundi Tshazibana, has confirmed that the funds and property under the name of Berdine Odendaal have been forfeited to the State. Easy come, easy go.

Most of these funds relate to 12 ‘loans’ that Jooste gave Odendaal to the value of R60.5 million from his horse-racing business company called Mayfair Speculators. The Reserve Bank placed a preservation order on these funds back in May 2021 which led to a court battle between Odendaal and the Sarb over who has ownership of these funds.

In February, Odendaal filed a court application with the Supreme Court of Appeal, asking the SARB to give her R150,000 a month to cover her expenses. She claimed that she needed R70,000 in order to stable her polo ponies, R10,000 a month for her beauty treatments, vitamins and make-up, R5,000 for clothing and R4,000 to pay her domestic worker.

The self-described ‘businesswoman’ and polo slay queen’s piggybank included R42.2 million in cash from the various bank accounts, as well as a property in the luxury estate, Val De Vie, in the Western Cape, valued at R18 million.

According to reports, Odendaal is not destitute – she has a house in Pretoria and a stand at Mabalingwe Nature Reserve in Limpopo. SARB has however not yet confirmed if these properties would be seized as well.

In other news, Berdine Odendaal – Markus Jooste’s erstwhile inamorata is probably a lot less happy today than she was a few days ago. pic.twitter.com/6KAs9iZNkC

— Khaya Sithole (@CoruscaKhaya) April 23, 2024

The central bank blocked Odendaal’s accounts in late April 2021 after it found she had received R60 million in loans from a company linked to the late Steinhoff CEO. At the time, the bank said it suspected that Jooste and Steinhoff had flouted exchange control provisions when they brought the funds into SA.

The bank had three years from the date the assets were blocked to declare them forfeit. Had it not seized them by late April or early May this year, they would have returned to Odendaal.

Jooste might have taken the easy way out, but Odendaal has now been left in the ill-gotten ditch. Her polo days seem to be over, but the R60 million loan has set a new benchmark for side chicks everywhere.

So loop hy maar.

[source:iol&news24]