FW fights to keep finances private
2012-09-02 20:51
Cape Town - Former president FW de Klerk will continue his legal battle to keep the state of his finances out of the public eye, the Rapport newspaper reported on Sunday.
The former head of state's daughter-in-law Nicole Noordien is in the process of divorcing De Klerk's son, Willem.
She had demanded R33 000 a month in maintenance from the senior De Klerk, as his son was unreliable in making regular payments, the newspaper reported.
A Randburg magistrate ordered that De Klerk make known his finances by Monday. De Klerk, however, won an urgent bid in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday, allowing him to keep his financial position confidential.
The interdict was only granted pending the outcome of a review process in the same high court.
In court papers, De Klerk claimed that since the divorce proceedings started, he had already given financial support to his son and his two granddaughters. The money came from the Fredek-trust, which was established for his children and grandchildren.
De Klerk insists that disclosing his personal finances is administratively illegal. He claims it would infringe his right to privacy and damage his reputation.
"I expect my appearance in the Randburg court would be widely publicised and the ensuing commentary could have a negative impact on my privacy and reputation," Rapport quoted him as saying in court documents.
According to De Klerk, as a former state president, he was unavoidably also a public figure, which constantly drew media attention with regard to his activities and personal circumstances.
De Klerk said that until his son could afford it, money for the children's maintenance and school fees would come from the Fredek trust.
Both senior and junior De Klerk are expected back in the magistrate's court in Randburg on Monday.
- SAPA
