Wilbur Smith fight has SA act

2003-10-27 10:41

Cape Town - The High Court has appointed an advocate to hear evidence of eight South Africans for a court case in the United States between author Wilbur Smith and his estranged stepson, Dieter Schmidt.

The eight South Africans, among them three journalists, legal representatives, a housekeeper and a family member of Schmidt, will give evidence before Mark Sher.

It will be made available to a court in the American state of Colorado.

Smith made a case against Schmidt, a Colorado dermatologist, in the United States because he is convinced his stepson stole private documents from homes in South Africa and Britain.

The documents apparently pertained to an exposé in South African and British newspapers that Smith led a secret life under a pseudonym.

The relationship between Schmidt and Smith fell apart in 1999 when Schmidt's mother and Smith's third wife, Danielle Thomas, died of cancer.

Face fines for refusing

Acting Judge Gavin Woodland ordered that the eight people give evidence before Sher under oath.

They will be called between November 5 and 20, and if they refuse to give evidence, they could either be fined or jiled.

The journalists are Bonny Schoonakker and Gill Moodie of the Sunday Times and Estelle Ellis of The Star.

The legal representatives are Jacques Louw , Oscar Roup and Steven Kirk-Cohen. The others are Schmidt's stepsister, Brigitta Schmidt and Smith's housekeeper, Mavis Mpetsheni, and his advocate, Steven Kirk-Cohen.

- Die Burger