In an interview with Lowvelder on Friday (September 25), Willem Janson’s wife, Enesta, called the family’s domestic worker of 30 years, Thembi Sibiya, who said she was busy arranging firewood in the yard on Wednesday afternoon (September 23) when Willem walked past her.

“He waved at me and said, ‘Goodbye, Thembi, I’m going to rest’, before driving away in his Toyota bakkie,” said Sibiya.

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He died later that day, aged 78.

Legal battles take their toll

Enesta, who was married to Willem for 30 years, said she knew her husband was very tired. The couple’s problems began in 2018 when Albert Sibisiso Tshabalala and his wife, Ntombizodwa, bought 66% of the shares in eBundu Lodge.

Before they concluded the deal, the Tshabalalas received financial assistance from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Enesta said many questions could be raised about the deal: “I wish the Madlanga Commission could investigate the IDC.”

“What we wanted was for the lodge to be bought out completely. We did not want to enter into any partnership,” said Enesta.

When the Jansons began questioning fund transfers to various bank accounts, the partnership fell apart, with the Tshabalalas later arrested on charges including fraud and money laundering.

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The Jansons were the complainants in a matter involving more than R200 000.

Tshabalala was found guilty in September 2021 and was due to be sentenced on November 5 that year. His wife was acquitted.

The court postponed the sentencing nearly 30 times, and the case was later escalated to the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela.

The High Court ordered the Nelspruit Specialised Commercial Crimes Court to proceed with sentencing.

Tshabalala then approached the Supreme Court of Appeal, which ordered a full bench of the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court to hear his appeal.

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Three judges ordered that the Nelspruit court must proceed to sentence Tshabalala.

A toll on the family

“This case took a toll on my husband. He was very tired that justice failed to prevail for so many years,” said Enesta.

She believes Willem was exhausted by the ongoing legal battles over eBundu Lodge.

The couple built and ran the lodge, situated between Rocky Drift and Mbombela, for more than 30 years.

At its peak, it employed more than 100 people.

Before becoming a businessman, Willem was a practising attorney.

“Whenever we walked in town, someone would just come from across the street and greet him, saying, ‘Do you remember how you helped me with my criminal case without asking for payment?’” Enesta said.

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In hindsight, she knows Willem prepared her for the future: “When he said, ‘One day you are going to do things alone’, I thought one day was still far away. He was always my backstop. But the last few months he really pushed me to the fore and said I had to run with the business.”

Willem’s funeral is planned for Friday, October 2, at the White River Dutch Reformed Church at 10:00.

The IDC and the Tshabalalas could not be reached for comment.