"So Entitled": Gauteng Absent Father Denied Inheriting Nearly R1 Million From Late Son's Estate

• A Gauteng father was blocked from claiming a share of his late son's R700,000 estate after the mother took the matter to court
• The son passed away at 29 without a will, leaving his parents as next of kin, but his mother argued the father had abandoned the family when her son was a baby
• A Johannesburg court ruled in the mother's favour, sparking a heated debate among South Africans about absent parents and inheritance rights

The South Gauteng High Court ruled that an absent father from Gauteng has no right to inherit from his late son's estate. The boy's mother challenged his claim before the court.

The son, who passed away at 29, left behind no will. With no formal instructions about his estate. His parents were identified as next of kin, and each stood to receive around R700,000 from what he had saved.

However, his mother refused to accept that arrangement. She took the matter to court, arguing that the father had walked out on the family when her son was still a baby and played no role in his life. On those grounds, she insisted he should not be entitled to any portion of the money. The Johannesburg court agreed with her. The father was denied his share of the inheritance entirely, a ruling that has since sparked strong reactions across social media. South African content creator @coolstorybru_za shared the story on Instagram on 30 October with a direct message to parents:

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"You might want to think twice before walking out on your family."

Watch the video that sparked the debate below:

SA debate ruling against absent dad

The post drew thousands of comments, with most South Africans firmly siding with the court's decision:

@Chill said:

"You can't be absent and greedy"

@Benedictus Dlodlo wrote:

"Definitely fair, he might have been the father, but he did not parent the kid."

@Lee wrote:

"If anything, sue that man for being so entitled"

@Israel D added:

"He didn't want anything to do with his son for 29 years, but after hearing about the inheritance, he suddenly has the strength to fight in court."

@NJ.Mabaso wrote:

"The father is so entitled!"

@Eddy said:

"Going to court to fight for a stranger's money."

@Jeandre asked:

"Why did the mother even have to go to court?"

Not everyone agreed with the outcome. @Tshepo_M. commented:

"It was a rubbish ruling."

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Other Briefly News stories on absent fathers

• A young South African graduate went viral after sharing an SMS exchange where her absent father unexpectedly reached out asking for an invitation to attend her tertiary graduation ceremony.
• People reacted after a public co-parenting dispute erupted online when a mother went viral, claiming her child’s father was a deadbeat who refused to provide financial support, prompting swift public backlash against him.
• A young South African woman sparked deep empathy on social media after sharing screenshots of unanswered text messages sent to her absent father, pleading for emotional support and financial help before deciding to cut ties with him completely.

Source: Briefly News