Top businessman threatens to kill gravely ill wife

Judge pulls no punches in court ruling

Wealthy Komani businessman Greg Harvey, who threatened his ill former wife Ronell that he would hire a hitman to kill her, has been interdicted from loitering outside her Makhanda home or in any way threatening or harming her.

Judge John Smith this week also sentenced Harvey to six months imprisonment for contempt of court for failing to meet almost every single term of their post-divorce settlement agreement.

The sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he gives effect to the order within 30 days. The court papers detail longstanding and continued harassment and threats to Ronell who is ill with stage four colon cancer.

Smith said Ronell had set out in detail how Harvey had threatened to have her killed by a hitman, warned that he would evict her from their Makhanda home and attempted to coerce her to terminate the mandate of her attorney, Brin Brody.

“Unsurprisingly, [Harvey’s] wrongful and unlawful conduct has caused [her] considerable anguish and undue stress.”

He said Harvey had opted not to deal in detail with the allegations and instead had simply offered a bald denial. Smith rejected the denial and accepted Ronell’s detailed allegations.

“I am of the view that the applicant [Ronell] has established a clear right that harm has been inflicted on her by [Harvey] and that unless [he] is interdicted from his unlawful conduct [her] life will remain in danger.

The terms included that he transfer their Makhanda home into Ronell’s name and provide her with a brand new Toyota Fortuner as well as six Cape buffalo cows.

Harvey said in court papers that he had attempted to give her the car but she had refused to take delivery of it. With regard to the buffalo cows, he said he was in the process of buying them.

But Judge Smith said it was clear from the court papers that the vehicle he had tried to deliver was not a new one. He said he had also dealt in a perfunctory manner with her allegation that he had failed to provide the cows.

Smith warned that if Harvey failed to give full effect to the terms of the settlement agreement, Ronell could return to court for an additional order that he again be held in contempt of court and this time sentenced to a year in prison.

He ordered Harvey to pay the costs of the application on a punitive scale.

Advocates Izak Smuts, SC, and Advocate Kerryn Watt, instructed by Brody, appeared for Ronell. Advocate Olav Ronaasen, instructed by Netteltons Attorneys argued for Harvey. – DDR

The court papers detail continued harassment and threats to Ronell who is ill with stage four colon cancer