Embattled lawyer Peet Viljoen has to stay in custody for at least another 12 days in what he called ‘appalling conditions’ in the Kgoši Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria.

This comes after Viljoen dismissed his advocate, André Steenkamp, to bring in senior counsel he described as ‘the big guns’.

Because his new legal counsel was unavailable at his court appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria earlier today (June 26), the case was postponed to July 8.

Wearing the same Boss tracksuit (valued at approximately R7 000) he wore at his first appearance, Viljoen appeared tired and frail.

In contrast to previous social media videos where he spoke in a strong, loud voice, Viljoen appeared calmer, suggesting the time in jail may have tempered his anger. A soft-spoken Viljoen apologised to everyone he had hurt on social media. “I want to apologise if I sounded arrogant on my social media accounts.”

Taking a cellphone from his pocket, Viljoen said he had not taken it into his cell.

“I am speaking to Mel every day,” he said, adding that calls cost around R1.50 per minute.

Meanwhile, Mel has also taken to social media and wrote a statement. She said ‘this is one of the most difficult posts we’ve written’, adding that over the past few weeks they have experienced a deep personal change.

She wrote that she and Peet take responsibility for their past actions and expressed deep remorse for the hurt caused through their videos, words and conduct.

She noted that they ‘want to take responsibility for our past’, and apologised to those they hurt, saying there were times they ‘spoke without enough grace, responded without enough compassion, and said things that caused real pain’.

Mel said they cannot undo what has been said or done but can acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness. She added that they believe ‘humility matters more than pride and love more than being right’.

She said they were not writing the statement under pressure, but out of conviction, stressing that ‘true repentance must be followed by changed behaviour’, and that saying sorry is only the beginning.

Mel added that they understand forgiveness ‘cannot be demanded – it is a gift’, and said they respect whether people choose to forgive them or not. She said they are hoping for the chance to let their future actions reflect real change.

She ended the inscription with ‘God bless’.

Peet faces 400 charges of fraud, corruption, forgery and theft. He is accused of illegally selling municipal property in 2010.

He is charged alongside Resimate Maringa, Dorah Madisha, Wiets Nell, Ronel van Vuuren and Edmund Sibisi. The group allegedly targeted valuable municipal properties.

They are accused of fabricating a paper trail to facilitate illegal transfers to private firms, with the state saying no money was ever paid to the City of Johannesburg or Joburg Property Company.

Almost R15m was allegedly distributed among the syndicate.

Caxton Network News recently reported that the Hawks have concluded their investigation into an alleged Tammy Taylor franchise scam and referred the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority to decide whether to prosecute the Viljoens.

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