PRESS STATEMENT | Dutch Developer in Criminal and Civil Contempt of Court, Ordered to Open its Books, Following Illegal Demolitions

Date: 13/05/2024


On 8th May 2024, MAXXLiving, a multinational company registered in South Africa and the Netherlands, and its CEO and sole director, Mr Arthur Bezuidenhout, was found to be in both criminal and civil contempt of court for failing to comply with a court order of the Land Claims Court of 28 July 2022.

The original order was obtained by Lawyers for Human Rights who are representing 15 families following the illegal demolition of their homes to make way for luxury houses at the Country Gardens Estate in Muldersdrift, Gauteng. The order required the developer to replace the demolished homes within three months.

To date, the fifteen families have been living in squalid conditions, while MAXXLiving and its CEO, put forward a variety of excuses, including financial incapacity, despite construction continuing at the development.

Judge Spilg of the Land Court (previously the Land Claims Court) found both the company and its CEO to be wilfully and maliciously in criminal and civil contempt. The court ordered that Mr Bezuidenhout provide the company’s financial statements, tax returns, and cash flow records for the past three years. This will be followed by a site inspection by the court before a hearing on 13 August “to hear parties on the appropriate order in respect of the imposition of a penalty including imprisonment, and if so for what periods, or to compel performance [of the 2022 court order].”

Louise du Plessis, head of Lawyers for Human Rights’ Land, Housing and Property Programme said, “This multinational developer took the law into their own hands. Their blatant disregard for human rights cannot be tolerated. Pleading poverty when the development is continuing is open defiance of the court. We are pleased that the judge has demanded that the company’s books be opened for scrutiny and that our clients will eventually find justice.”

For more information:

Community Representatives

Lerato Kgatla: 073 456 3540

Jimmy Kwapeng: 073 227 2075

Lawyers for Human Rights

David Dickinson: 082 789 1265

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