Johannesburg – Professor Thuli Madonsela, the former public protector, has revealed that just two days after the death of her partner Richard Edward Foxton, an attempt was made to evict her from the home they shared.
“Within 48 hours of my late partner’s passing, an attempt was made to evict me from the place he and I regarded as our main home, while our house in Stellenbosch was for my work and, possibly, our retirement home, the latter being how the house came about,” Professor Madonsela told reporters on Wednesday, 17 December 2025.
She said the notice was not a court order discreetly delivered by a court sheriff.
“It was a chilling posting in a family WhatsApp group,” Professor Madonsela said.
The message stated: “Good morning everyone. For the sake of good order, both 414 and 413 Walton Heath are to be locked and remain unoccupied as soon as possible. If anyone wishes to visit the flat, then he must be in the company of all siblings, and to be arranged between the two of you. I will send R…(redacted) to collect the keys from Justin and Graham and deliver them to Mine (sic) Beder for safe keeping. Please understand that this is in the interest of all parties. Secondly both R…and F (redacted) are employees for Foxton Communicating. As such they are accountable to me. Any dealings with them should be discussed with me first.This is the only way to ensure a transparent process.”
Professor Madonsela said the author of the WhatsApp message on 23 June 2025 was Mr Douglas Frank Taylor.
“He was neither a ‘Foxton child’ nor a member of the Foxton family or my in-law, as the media has characterised the deceased estate disagreement,” she stated.
“At the time of the message, Mr Taylor was not an executor of my partner’s deceased estate, as the estate was yet to be reported to the master of the high court and executor yet to be appointed.
“On 23 June 2025, Mr Taylor was my partner’s accountant, co-director of virtually all my partner’s businesses, and controller of all his finances up to and including the issuing of e-wallets.
“He knew I was in apartment 413, having arrived from our home in the Western Cape on the day of my partner’s passing.”
Professor Mandonsela said the devastating, traumatic impact of the bizarre eviction attempt was not limited to her.
“My children, who were also with me, assisting with receiving those who came to mourn with us as is customary, were also traumatised,” she lamented.
“My partner’s son, Justin Foxton, who had come to mourn his father at his last place of residence, was equally traumatised.”’
Professor Madonsela said she engaged Mr Taylor, pointing out that she intended to stay at the home she shared with her partner while mourning, until the funeral.
“He insisted that the apartment was not my home and that my home was the Stellenbosch house,” Professor Madonsela recalled.
“He said South Africa had no such thing as a common law wife.
“I had not said I was a common law wife.”
Professor Mandonsela said she has endured a vicious and relentless character assassination campaign mounted against her in the media.
“I had claimed to be a life partner and that the apartment had been our home where I stayed regularly whenever I came to Gauteng and where my partner and I had spent all holiday time, including Christmas and Good Friday holidays for over eight years,” she recalled.
On the house bequest, Professor Madonsela said a newspaper artcle on 14 December 2025, appears to suggest she was asking for double the bequest in the Will, being the money and the house.
“This is not true and, in any event, would be unlawful.
“All that is asked for in court papers is that the purported 2025 Will be declared invalid on account of falling short of requirements of a valid Will, which includes the testator being of sound mind.”
She shared that she would have continued to handle the transitional challenges of her partner’s passing in a quiet, dignified, private manner.
However, when Mr Taylor insisted that those needing accommodation should go to hotels and the estate would pay, Professor Madonsela said she asked her attorney colleagues for a legal opinion, which was provided by Mr Themba Seyisi.
The opinion confirmed that under the Bwanya principles, the Intestate Succession Act and the Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act (MOSA), as amended, Professor Mandonsela was a permanent life partner and spouse and therefore entitled to spousal benefits.
She said, according to a City Press article on her partner’s deceased estate dated Sunday, 14 December 2025, the house she lives in was recently valuated.
“This shocked me,” shared Professor Madonsela, adding that she never authorised anyone to access her home for a valuation or anything, nor was she asked or informed about such.
The article states: “An independent valuation report dated 25 November 2025 estimates the property’s current market value at appropriately R10m, effectively maintaining the same monetary value as the bequest.”
The estimated value of the property in June 2025, in the asset register to the Master as submitted by the nominated Executors, is R7.5 million.
“This means if such valuation ever took place, it would have been between 21 June and November 2025,” she said.
To conduct a valuation, the expert must physically examine the property inside and out, thoroughly examining every nook and cranny.
“The thought of someone having been to my house without me or anyone authorised present left a chilling effect on my family,” said Professor Madonsela.
“A security expert advised that I make this information public to ensure that, should anything happen to me, this security breach is considered.”
Professor Madonsela said she suspected fraud or attempted fraud in the reporting of the Foxton Deceased Estate.
“I cannot say what has been more painful between the attempt at evicting me within hours of my partner’s passing or the demand that I cease and desist from calling myself my partner’s partner or the media campaign designed to make me sound greedy and unreasonable,” shared Professor Madonsela.
“I did not invite you to judge these matters. I wanted and still expect the court to judge them or the family to settle.
“I also expect the Department of Justice to conduct a forensic investigation on this estate.”
Regarding the will, Madonsela said she did not want to litigate the technicalities of the signature authenticity in the public domain.
“That is a matter for the court, save to say that the expert report did not say there was no forgery but rather that a conclusive finding could not be made as the original 2025 Will is missing and close to date specimens are not available.”
