Court Links Pam Golding Properties to R20-Million Bribe in Mozambique Hidden Debt Scandal
- Pam Golding Properties faces scrutiny over its involvement in Mozambique's Hidden Debt scandal
- The court found that the firm accepted over R20-million in bribes linked to Ndambi Guebuza
- 1.9 million people in Mozambique were affected by the embezzlement and money laundering scandal
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
Pam Golding Properties is facing scrutiny after a 2022 Maputo City Court judgment implicated it in Mozambique's Hidden Debt scandal. The court found the firm accepted over R20-million in payments for Ndambi Guebuza, son of former Mozambican president Armando Guebuza, alongside South African law firm Jouberts Attorneys.
Pam Golding Properties tied to corruption
According to the Daily Maverick, these funds were bribes from Abu Dhabi-based shipbuilder Privinvest Group, which benefited from corruption in Mozambique between 2013 and 2015. The judgment found that Guebuza routed the bribes through Pam Golding Properties and Jouberts Attorneys to avoid Mozambican anti-money-laundering scrutiny. Payments were made directly into South African accounts, bypassing shell companies. Pam Golding Properties, through its subsidiary Apple Creek, allegedly facilitated transfers to buy luxury cars, pay for interior design, and acquire property, despite estate agent trust accounts being legally restricted to property-related transactions.
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According to the court, Guebuza spent millions on homes in Gauteng, including Kyalami and Dainfern estates, luxury vehicles, and renovations. Joubert Attorneys also managed payments totalling over R92-million on his behalf, covering luxury cars, properties, interior design, private aviation, and other personal expenses. Several high-end South African retailers and service providers, including Daytona Group, Imperial Collection, Delacovias Interior Design, and Viglietti Motors, received large sums through these transactions.
Open Secrets calculated that the combined funds handled by Pam Golding Properties and Jouberts Attorneys reached R110.9-million, exceeding the court's assessment of R95-million. The law firm reportedly processed these transactions without verifying the source of funds or the relationship between Privinvest and Guebuza, despite red flags raised by banks.
Source: Twitter
Embezzlement and money laundering
Pam Golding Properties has denied wrongdoing, citing a 2020 independent investigation by the Estate Agency Affairs Board that found compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements. The company stated it held Apple Creek staff responsible for failing to meet internal and contractual obligations during the transactions. Jouberts Attorneys' principal, Daan Joubert, died in 2025, and the firm appears inactive today.
The Maputo judgment convicted Guebuza, Bruno Langa, and nine others of embezzlement and money laundering. Guebuza received a 12-year prison sentence and remains incarcerated. Open Secrets referred both Pam Golding Properties and Jouberts Attorneys to the Hawks in July 2025 for potential money laundering investigations.
The scandal left Mozambique economically devastated, with 1.9 million people plunged into poverty. Authorities in South Africa are now examining why the companies involved were not held accountable when the Maputo judgment was issued.
Five suspects and four companies linked to R12 million scheme
Briefly News also reported that five suspects and four companies were arrested in a multimillion-rand fraud and money-laundering scheme in Cape Town.
The construction company was allegedly defrauded of R12 million by insider collaboration with subcontractors.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
