Viljoens Face Deportation

Former Real Housewives of Pretoria personalities Mel and Peet Viljoen face potential deportation from the United States following fresh shoplifting allegations and mounting fraud findings in South Africa. 

The couple, recently detained in Florida for allegedly stealing over $5,300 in groceries via “ticket switching,” now sit at the centre of an international legal storm.

Specialist investigator Mike Bolhuis revealed that the pair are already facing civil and criminal consequences back home. Speaking on Monday, Bolhuis stated, “They were found guilty, and they owe over R70 million to the real Tammy Taylor.” 

The dispute with Tammy Taylor centres on a high-profile franchise battle where the Viljoens were found to have mismanaged and misrepresented the American nail salon brand in South Africa.

Beyond the franchise dispute, authorities are investigating claims that the couple preyed on hopeful emigrants, soliciting payments of R5,000 to R10,000 for relocation assistance that never materialised. Bolhuis warned the public: “People see the flash, the money, the opportunity, and they are totally misled.”

U.S. officials are currently weighing whether to prosecute the pair locally or deport them immediately. Should they return to South Africa, they face a “mountain of legal pressure” and potential arrest related to multiple open fraud dockets.

Bolhuis urged South Africans not to send money to the couple, warning that past schemes allegedly targeted vulnerable individuals.