The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela has postponed a significant matter concerning the estate claims of the late former Deputy President David Mabuza to next week. The case has garnered public interest, particularly due to the involvement of Mabuza’s daughter, Tamara Silinda, who is contesting the allocation of her father’s retirement income benefits.
Silinda has formally applied to the High Court to intervene in the proceedings involving Alexander Forbes, the retirement income solution company handling Mabuza’s living annuity, which is valued at a staggering R44.7 million. Her application seeks to prevent any payouts to Mabuza’s widow, Nonhlanhla Mnisi, asserting that the financial resources should be directed towards Mabuza’s dependents instead.
This legal dispute hinges on the declaration that Mnisi is the sole beneficiary of Mabuza’s living annuity. Silinda is requesting a stay of this declaration while the court examines part B of her application. The tensions reflected in this legal battle speak volumes about the complexities often surrounding the estates of prominent public figures.
During the proceedings, Judge Henck Roelofse ordered Alexander Forbes to provide supplementary affidavits, highlighting discrepancies between the policy schedule and the policy document related to Mabuza’s annuity. “I need Alexander Forbes to give me evidence why there’s such a discrepancy,” Judge Roelofse stated, emphasising the necessity of clarity regarding how the investment was managed. “Ultimately, the central issue is to decide what this money was invested in,” he concluded, setting a deadline for the firm to submit these documents by 16:00 on Friday, 26 September 2025.