Judge orders farmer to pay R6m to jilted lover
Judge Robert Henney, of the Western Cape High Court, has ordered a Namibian farmer to pay more than R6m for dumping his fiancée of a decade and downplaying the role she played in building up his businesses.
After 10 years together, the court heard, Andries Maritz dumped Elsie Cloete in March 2009, and by December that same year had married someone else, notes a Weekend Argus report. Now, however, Henney has ordered that Maritz compensate Cloete to the tune of R6.166m within 30 days. Throughout their relationship, Maritz and Cloete, who became engaged, started various business ventures. Cloete claimed that a universal partnership existed between them, and requested a 50% share of the value of the assets. In addition, she claimed R25 000 for his breach of promise to marry her. Maritz argued that they signed an ante-nuptial contract before their intended marriage, and said this was an indication that they never intended to form a universal partnership, the report notes. Full Weekend Argus report