Controversial businessperson Edwin Sodi has been given a deadline to pay his ex-wife Nthateng Lerata more than R24m as part of a divorce settlement agreement nearly eight years ago.

Lerata was granted the order by the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) in April last year, but had to go back to court last month after Sodi failed to honour the agreement.

On 24 May, Judge Johannes Strijdom ordered Sodi to pay Lerata R24m in 48 days and failure to do so would result in his assets being attached.

Strijdom also ruled that the occupants of Sodi’s luxury house in Bryanston in Johannesburg ought to vacate in compliance with the settlement agreement.

In her initial application, Lerata stated that Sodi had agreed to pay her R200 000 every month. She said in the court papers that she had no other option but to go the legal route, considering that Sodi had failed to honour his obligations in terms of the settlement agreement. 

City Press understands that Sodi has not yet honoured the court order as directed, as he still had another month to comply with it.

In his answering affidavit, Sodi maintained that he was not in contempt of the court order, as the dispute between the former couple had been extinguished by the terms of the settlement agreement.

City Press in February reported that the SARS was threatening to seize his assets if he failed to pay more than R400m in an outstanding tax debt.

He was given 10 business days to respond to its demand.

Sodi’s companies include Blackhead Consulting, MJS Family Trust and NJR Projects.

Blackhead Consulting is being investigated by the Special Investigating Unit over incomplete upgrades and refurbishment of the Tshwane’s Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Full City Press report