Academic’s dream a mansion among the matchboxes
Multimillion-rand residence has nine bedrooms
A NEW mansion in rural Mpumalanga is causing a stir because it sticks out like a rich man’s thumb amidst the poverty.
The ultra-modern, 1 600m² home in the dusty hamlet of Violet Bank in impoverished Bushbuckridge stands tall among the scores of tiny, concrete block houses that dot the landscape.
The multimillion-rand double-storey residence alongside the R40 highway, which could easily be mistaken for a hotel, has nine en suite bedrooms, each with its own fireplace and chimney. The main bedroom has a small office.
There are three lounges, two bars, a theatre and an entertainment area suitable for all seasons. There is also a refrigeration room.
The house is owned by Tshepo Magabane, registrar and head of institutional affairs at CTI Education Group, a private higher education provider in Fourways, Johannesburg.
The words Dithamaga Baropodi appear on a board in front of the house, together with the drawing of a tiger, which, according to Pedi culture, is a symbol of strength, wisdom and luck.
The mansion is a far cry from the modest, three-bedroom house in the village of Shatale in Bushbuckridge in which Magabane grew up.
Magabane, 40, a father of four young children, lives in another mansion in Pretoria. He said his home in Bushbuckridge would be used during holidays and for his retirement.
He said it took him about a year to build his dream house. He would not say how much it cost, but last week, when a Sun- day Times reporter stopped by, a man who said he was Magabane’s brother let slip that it had cost R19-million.
“I am not going to confirm that,” said Magabane.
Asked whether it was the most expensive house in Bushbuckridge, he said: “I have not explored that and will not be surprised if it is not.”
He had a house-warming par- ty last month, but said he was undecided about when he would move in.
Asked why he had built so many bedrooms, he joked: “It’s part of our culture. We’re like Indians — we accommodate everyone.”
Commenting on criticism that he was flaunting his wealth, he said: “People don’t know what was the purpose of building the house.
“They will come up with different opinions. I don’t have an issue with people’s opinions.”
Asked whether locals had anything negative to say about his house, he replied: “No, perhaps because I am not yet staying there full time.”
A local resident, however, insisted that there was no justification for building “such a massive house in an area where people are so poor”.
The average annual income of households in Bushbuckridge is about R36 569 and at least 144 512 locals are collecting social grants, according to 2011 census figures.
“You just show up your wealth, which you can’t share with everybody else in an impoverished area like this.”
But Comfort Monareng, 22, who lives about 600m from Magabane’s house, said it had become a tourist attraction.
“Motorists stop to take pictures. We really admire the house, although some say it belongs in the suburbs.”