The Gupta mansion in Cape Town is sinking into dilapidation after being abandoned when the brothers fled SA as their state capture empire began crumbling.
The thatched roof of the Constantia property - former home of Mark Thatcher, son of the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher - has caved in near the main entrance, letting the rain pour in.
Balconies are rotting, fittings cracked and even the spiked front gate has started to disintegrate.
Auctioneers inspected the property this week ahead of a likely sale in execution as the state seeks to recoup some of the Guptas' ill-gotten gains. The property is one of several that have been attached by the Asset Forfeiture Unit.
The National Prosecuting Authority said it would take charge of repairs to the building. "The curator is aware of the need for maintenance/repairs to the thatch at the Constantia property," said NPA Investigative Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka.
A visit to the property this week revealed the extent of neglect, which has angered neighbours in Dawn Avenue, home to some of Cape Town's wealthiest residents.
Even the security cameras that used to scan visitors are cracked.
A guard said contractors arrived last week to change all the locks.
Floor area of the Constantia house
— 1,955m²
The house is registered in the name of Gupta company Islandsite Investments 180, which won municipal approval to upgrade the sprawling property in 2017 - a plan that was scuppered by the mounting heat on the family.
The plan included lopping off the thatched roof, building a double-storey second dwelling and upgrading a lavish entertainment area.
The upgrade would have seen construction of a verandah juice bar, lapa and gym and other features that neighbours feared could result in an extravagant compound like the Guptas' Johannesburg property, the "Saxonwold shebeen".
Size of the property
— 8,105m²
The family bought the Dawn Avenue home for R17m in 2005. A R15m Nedbank bond was cancelled in 2016, not long before major banks said they were severing ties with the Guptas. Islandsite also owned property in the Cape Town City Bowl, with a bond from the State Bank of India.
Neighbours welcomed the attachment of the property this week. "We are relieved to see it go and justice to be served," said one. "They have sent some guys around who have been taking stuff out of there."
Approximate property value
— R21m
Constantia Ratepayers and Residents Association manager John Hesom said: "We are delighted that the property has been seized as an asset from proceeds of crime but are becoming concerned about it gradually starting to fall into disrepair."
The swoop on what's left of the Gupta empire follows a restraint order issued by the Bloemfontein high court last week to freeze assets and homes belonging to the family and their associate Iqbal Sharma.
In terms of the order, the family and business rescue practitioners were prohibited from "dealing in any manner with the property, except as required or permitted by this order".
The Sunday Times could not reach the business rescue practitioners. Islandsite legal representative Bouwer van Niekerk said he was in touch with the curator and the NPA to seek clarity on the company's assets and who has control of them.
The Guptas, who would periodically arrive at the Constantia house in a fleet of luxury sedans, fled to Dubai in 2016.
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