This is Baba Ahmadou Danpullo - a Cameroonian billionaire and the owner of Goldenrod Group which owns Marble Towers. He is absolutely aware of the illegal structures and building violations at Marble Towers since he controls the building through his corporate entity, Goldenrod Group and has continuously asked his legal teams and executive management to fight major legal battles with the City of Johannesburg regarding these violations.
Now, why knowing that he is engaging in illegal activity at Marble Towers does he have the guts to take the city to court?
Well.....because he is a massive foreign investor with billions of Rands in South African real estate, his business battles have repeatedly escalated into major diplomatic and political incidents between South Africa and Cameroon. For example:
1. When First National Bank (FNB) moved to liquidate Danpullo's R4-billion South African property portfolio over a R500-million debt dispute, Danpullo heavily weaponized his political network. He is an inner-circle ally of Cameroonian President Paul Biya and holds a Cameroonian diplomatic passport. He successfully pressured President Paul Biya to write directly to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in his business affairs. He also leveraged his close ties to former African Union Chairman and Senegalese President Macky Sall, who attempted to personally mediate between Danpullo and South African authorities.
2. He gets engagements with the Department of International Relations (DIRCO) because of the massive scale of his real estate holdings. Our political leadership has been forced to address him directly through formal state channels.
3. Danpullo’s political strategy relies heavily on his knowledge of South African state-backed entities. In his legal battles, he frequently targets the Public Investment Corporation (PIC)—the state-owned asset manager that handles the pensions of South African civil servants. Knowing that the PIC is a massive shareholder in companies like MTN and Tiger Brands, Danpullo used his immense political clout in Cameroon to freeze the bank accounts of South African corporate subsidiaries (like MTN Cameroon and Chococam) as a political counter-offensive against South Africa.
Now, this man owes the city of Joburg R14 million in unpaid rates, taxes, water, and electricity at Marble Towers alone. What about his other buildings???? If it was anyone of us we would be in prison 😳.
I'm now wondering about all those buildings that have been hijacked in our towns and cities. I'm wondering about their ownership and the power those people have that have allowed our politicians to look the other way unless it's election time.
This is deeper than we realise. God help us all 💔
Has the South African government failed in ensuring stricter border controls, absolutely.
Have African governments failed in ensuring economic prosperity for their people - definitely!
Does all this justify pogroms, killing and threatening people?
Absolutely not!
When we tell you that Ramaphosa folding SSA into the presidency to be his plaything. We mean instances such as these. The drug trade needs intelligence so that you are better equipped to intercept the trade line. Ramaphosa collapsing SSA makes him complicit.
Miss a tax payment and they'll come after you.
Steal a chocolate and you're a criminal.
Drive after one too many drinks and you're in trouble.
But millions crossing the border illegally? That's apparently where law enforcement stops.
Make it make sense.
Home Affairs now assigns children of illegal immigrants to SAn moms. You birth 2 children & they assign an additional 2 to you. This is how foreign kids access child support grants. When you die, your kids will not access their inheritance.