EVIDENCE: MEDIA24’S FALSE CLAIMS VS VERIFIED FACTS — A SIDE-BY-SIDE REBUTTAL
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"No matter what we tried to get him out legally, the odds seemed always to be stacked in his favour."
TRUE:
This is gaslighting at its finest. They didn’t just fail in court—they also carried out multiple illegal evictions, used thugs to take back the property, and hired WdS to enforce their lies. The odds weren’t stacked—they were lawless.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
They invoke the agent to bolster credibility, yet the journalist never contacted him. Had they done so, they’d have uncovered proof that the Broads were lying about arrears and subletting. This omission is a textbook press failure.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
The agent they refer to—Anton Moller—facilitated the lease and later provided a sworn affidavit contradicting their claims. Yet the journalist failed to contact him, ignoring critical evidence that destroyed the Broads’ version of events.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
The agent—Anton Moller—later resigned, citing the Broads’ abuse, threats, and repeated extortion attempts. He wanted no further involvement due to their conduct, which speaks volumes about who really created the chaos.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
Anton Moller, the agent they reference, provided a sworn affidavit directly contradicting their claims. Despite this, the journalist never contacted him—an inexcusable omission that would have exposed the truth instantly.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"I met Mr. Russell briefly, and he was very charming and friendly, and the agent thought he was wonderful," said Inge.
TRUE:
The agent wasn’t an independent third party—she was Keith Broad’s cousin, Gail Broad. This wasn’t a neutral introduction; it was a direct family referral. The journalist’s failure to disclose this key relationship created a false impression of impartial endorsement and violated the most basic principles of transparency and truthfulness.
Gail’s praise wasn’t random—it was based on fact. She’d toured my Camps Bay property, where I’d funded two new kitchens, full landscaping, and an interior transformation to create a luxury rental. She openly admired the standard and recommended me to Keith and Inge for that exact reason.
That property—and her glowing feedback—was the bait. What followed was a calculated setup. They used Gail’s family connection to gain my trust, used her praise to justify the deal, and then used her name again—stripped of context—to legitimise their post-fact smear.
They knew exactly what they were doing. So did the journalist who left all of that out. This wasn’t honest reporting. It was sanitised misdirection.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"In due course, they became aware of the short-term letting scheme."
TRUE:
This is pure fiction. The short-term letting model was never hidden—it was the entire basis of the lease. It was proposed, agreed to, and documented from day one. Their own agent, Anton Moller, confirmed it. So did Keith’s cousin, Gail Broad, who facilitated the deal.
Emails, WhatsApps, lease clauses, and payment records prove it was discussed at length and formed the only viable way for me to recoup the millions I invested transforming the property.
They didn’t "become aware" of anything—they signed off on it. The only thing they became aware of was the post-renovation value of the villa. That’s when the lies started.
This claim is a brazen rewrite of the timeline designed to mask a calculated property grab. And once again, Media24 didn’t ask for my comment, didn’t ask the agent, didn’t check a single fact—they simply printed the lie.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The flooring was changed, and the furniture reupholstered. The walls were spray painted. The house was filthy."
TRUE:
The so-called damage they refer to was the transformation they wanted, needed, and later profited from. I replaced a lice-infested, 30-year-old carpet with high-end tiles—at my own expense.
I reupholstered worn sofas in luxury fabric and carried out full interior and exterior redecoration. These were not damages. These were massive upgrades—celebrated by the Broads at the time, used in their listings, and featured in their sales brochures. They reversed nothing.
As for the walls and so-called filth—that was their own doing. After WdS and his team violently ejected my guests and unlawfully occupied the house, they trashed it.
The state of the property was documented in court as part of a spoliation case confirming the illegal takeover. When I briefly regained access in November, I cleaned and repainted the home again at my cost.
Media24 ignored all of this. They published the Broads’ lies without verification, never once referencing the court ruling, the photographic evidence, or the truth—because it would have destroyed the scam they were helping to broadcast.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband's luxury property."
TRUE:
They called it heartbreaking. But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it.
Heartbreaking is living in fear your cancer will kill you before you see your mother again.
Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and silence—only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother.
That’s not their heartbreak. That’s mine.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"I met Mr. Russell briefly, and he was very charming and friendly, and the agent thought he was wonderful," said Inge.me aware of the short-term letting scheme."
TRUE:
The agent wasn’t an independent third party—she was Keith Broad’s cousin, Gail Broad. This wasn’t a neutral introduction; it was a direct family referral. The journalist’s failure to disclose this key relationship created a false impression of impartial endorsement and violated the most basic principles of transparency and truthfulness.
Gail’s praise wasn’t random—it was based on fact. She’d toured my Camps Bay property, where I’d funded two new kitchens, full landscaping, and an interior transformation to create a luxury rental. She openly admired the standard and recommended me to Keith and Inge for that exact reason.
That property—and her glowing feedback—was the bait. What followed was a calculated setup. They used Gail’s family connection to gain my trust, used her praise to justify the deal, and then used her name again—stripped of context—to legitimise their post-fact smear.
They knew exactly what they were doing. So did the journalist who left all of that out. This wasn’t honest reporting. It was sanitised misdirection.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"A wall leading to the storage areas was broken through and some of our private possessions were removed."
TRUE:
Keith Broad suggested the doorway himself. I added a non-load-bearing door—part of a layout improvement later showcased in their own property listings. In doing so, it created an entirely new additional bedroom and gave both that room and the adjacent room an ensuite bathroom.
Further, it connected the new room to the house itself when it was previously inaccessible. The so-called damage was marketed as a designer upgrade.
As for the items? They left behind junk that was so unimportant and without value that they neither wanted to take it nor wanted to pay for storage. I paid for professional storage, catalogued everything, and gave Keith full access. No one leaves items of value in a property they have let out, to someone they knew was then going to let it out multiple times a month, and no one leaves items of value in a tenanted property and neither includes it on the inventory nor their insurance schedule.
Months later, they inflated the contents' value to R835,000—purely to upgrade the case to a Schedule 5 offence, on par with rape and murder, just to justify jailing me in Pollsmoor.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"She alleged the couple were almost financially ruined due to Russell not having paid rent or utilities for about a year."
TRUE:
The Broads were already financially ruined before I signed the lease—that's why they needed me. Within six months, I'd paid them over R1 million in rent and utilities—more than they'd earned in the previous two years combined. By July 2022, they had already received R900,000, and I was still investing in the property. Then they executed a calculated sabotage: they secured a fraudulent protection order—obtained through perjury—that barred me, my staff, and all guests from coming within 500 metres of the property. Inge Broad even admitted, "We tried blocking his adverts each time we saw any." Breach meant arrest, so revenue became impossible. They created the lockout, sabotaged the income stream, then turned around and claimed default. Their financial ruin wasn't the result of non-payment—it was the motive for the scam: extract six figures in upgrades, force me out, then resell the property for R13 million more. What they now frame as hardship was, in fact, premeditated asset theft—masked as victimhood.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"He allegedly rented out the same place to two or three people at a time and disappeared without a trace after being paid thousands of rands."
TRUE:
Not a single booking was ever double-booked. We ran six villas, hosted 7,000 guests annually, and maintained Airbnb Superhost and Booking.com Preferred Partner Plus status—accolades revoked at the first sign of fraud. We were never sanctioned. Not once.
The claim that I disappeared "without a trace" is equally absurd. I lived on-site at either 16 Leirmans or 32 Fisherman’s Bend—just two streets apart—for 363 out of 365 days. I was running operations, visible, contactable, and managing staff around the clock. If this claim had any truth, there’d be a trail: refund requests, police reports, guest complaints, chargebacks. There weren’t. It never happened.
This lie was not part of any court file. It came from WdS—and Media24 printed it without verifying a single booking, asking a single guest, or attending a single hearing. This wasn’t reporting. It was fiction with a byline.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
The agent they reference—Anton Moller—did far more than facilitate the lease. He later provided a sworn affidavit contradicting every major claim the Broads made.
The Broads knew about the business model from the outset. They were fully informed, consented in writing, and accepted every payment. Their agent confirmed all of this—yet the journalist never contacted him.
Moller’s exported WhatsApp chats with the Broads prove they were aware of the short-term rentals, explicitly approved them, and repeatedly praised the business model that underpinned the lease. He later resigned, citing their threats, extortion attempts, and misconduct.
His sworn statement is one of the most devastating pieces of evidence against them—and News24 ignored it entirely. If the journalist had spent five minutes checking with the reputable agent the Broads themselves invoked, the lie would have unravelled.
Instead, they printed the Broads’ version wholesale—an omission that speaks volumes about the agenda at play. This wasn’t investigative reporting. It was narrative laundering.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The claim is that he usually faithfully pays his rent for a few months and then quits."
TRUE:
Rent was paid for 53 consecutive months, totalling R4.45 million—more than was due. Including deposits and utilities, that figure exceeds R5.6 million. There was no default. The shortfall only emerged after a coordinated attack: landlords filed false reports to Airbnb and Booking.com, wiping out our income streams overnight. They created the crisis, then cried arrears. Not a single such claim came from police, the prosecution, or any court. Media24 laundered de Swardt's lie under a banner of journalism, ignoring financial records, platform status, and public court files that proved it false.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"We did it through a reputable agent and paid them for a background check."
TRUE:
The exported WhatsApp chats with their agent Anton Moller dismantle every major lie the Broads pushed—proving they knew about the short-term rentals, accepted the payments, and approved the business model from the start.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"In due course, they became aware of the short-term letting scheme."
TRUE:
The Broads were fully aware of the short-term letting model from the outset. It was the entire basis of the lease. The arrangement was agreed to in writing, discussed with their agent Anton Moller, and confirmed by Gail Broad—Keith’s cousin and agent.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband's luxury property."
TRUE:
She watched that villa transform day by day, courtesy of my team, my time, and my funds. Keith’s own housekeeper, who I paid, sent him daily updates. He watched every tile get laid, every wall painted, every room styled—and at no point did he object. When I asked him in front of witnesses if he wanted anything undone, he said no. That’s not heartbreak. That’s entrapment.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"In due course, they became aware of the short-term letting scheme."
TRUE:
This is pure fiction. Thousands of WhatsApp chats, emails, and documented discussions prove they knew from day one. The journalist’s failure to ask for my comment—or even review the agent’s records—is a textbook breach of every journalistic standard.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"That was despite the damage caused to the property."
TRUE:
They called it damage—but used it in their sales ads. They claimed I’d ruined the property—then sold it on the strength of my upgrades. This lie wasn’t just theirs—it became Media24’s too, the moment they chose not to verify it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The flooring was changed, and the furniture reupholstered."
TRUE:
The flooring was a lice-infested, 30-year-old carpet. I replaced it with brand-new tiles—at my expense. The filthy sofas? I reupholstered them professionally in high-end fabric. These were upgrades. Upgrades they praised, featured in listings, and then called damage.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The walls were spray painted. The house was filthy."
TRUE:
What they call spray paint was professional redecoration—interior and exterior—paid for by me. The filth only came after WdS and his eight thugs unlawfully broke in, ejected my guests, and squatted in the house.
They trashed it. I cleaned it. They caused the damage. I restored it—again—when I briefly reoccupied the property in November.
The so-called damage was the direct result of an illegal occupation later confirmed by the spoliation ruling—yet Media24 ignored all of it. Instead, they printed the landlords’ lies as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"In due course, they became aware of the short-term letting scheme."
TRUE:
The Broads were fully aware of the short-term letting model from the outset. It was the entire basis of the lease. The arrangement was agreed to in writing, discussed with their agent Anton Moller, and confirmed by Gail Broad—Keith’s cousin and agent.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The walls were spray painted. The house was filthy."
TRUE:
The walls were professionally repainted—inside and out—at my cost. The so-called filth only followed WdS and his eight thugs’ unlawful occupation, after they violently ejected my guests. Media24 hid this entirely, along with the court record exposing it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The laws are really not fair towards property owners," she told News24.
TRUE:
The laws weren’t unfair—they just got in the way of their scam. They signed a valid lease, watched me invest millions transforming their rundown home, then tried to steal it back. The courts stopped them—because I was a lawful tenant, not a squatter.
What the Broads really wanted was a system that let them breach the lease, ignore contract law, seize my investments, and cash in—without consequences. When the law held them accountable, they cried foul. Media24 sided with them, painting them as victims while ignoring every ruling that exposed their fraud.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"The pumps of the jacuzzis burnt out, the inverter was not working, the steam bath was not working, and neither was the sauna," she added.
TRUE:
Those systems were all in working order—until the Broads illegally evicted me and handed the property to WdS and his hired thugs. They squatted in the house, hosted parties, and trashed everything.
When I briefly regained access in November, I found the place in ruins—and paid out of pocket to repair the damage they caused. I documented every fix. Media24 never asked for proof. They printed the Broads’ lies without question, omitting the spoliation judgment, the illegal takeover, and the real cause of the disrepair.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is costing us a fortune to repair the damage to our property. Which was supposed to provide us with an income."
TRUE:
They didn’t spend a cent on repairs—I did. I paid for the renovations, the upgrades, and the fixes after their own thugs trashed the place. The property was pristine when I was illegally evicted.
They used my décor, my finishes, and my furniture to sell it. As for income, I paid them over R1 million in rent and utilities in the first few months alone—more than they’d made in years.
It only stopped when they sabotaged the business, blocked my listings, and forced me out. They caused the loss—then blamed me. Media24 asked no questions, and published both lies as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Which was supposed to provide us with an income."
TRUE:
I paid them over R1 million in rent and utilities in the first few months. That income only stopped when they illegally evicted me and sabotaged my business listings. They didn’t lose income—they destroyed it, then blamed me.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"They were even told the property was wheelchair-friendly as they had an octogenarian coming along. When the property is not suited for that," Inge said, adding that the family was shocked when they realized they had been defrauded.
TRUE:
This wasn’t fraud—it was a setup. Inge and WdS deliberately let guests arrive, gave them a script, and used them as pawns in their criminal scheme.
Their aim? To turn paying guests into victims and use those false charges to get me jailed.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"According to Inge, she managed to find them alternative accommodation at short notice."
TRUE:
She caused the crisis—then claimed credit for the clean-up. The guests were only stranded because Inge, Keith, and WdS deliberately withheld the truth from Booking.com. Had they been informed, the platform would’ve rebooked or refunded the guests immediately.
But that wasn’t the goal. Inge made sure the guests never contacted Booking.com, instead steering them toward police charges to stage a false fraud narrative. There’s no evidence she helped them—court records show they found their own stay. This wasn’t assistance. It was orchestration. And Media24 published it like heroism.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"She alleged the couple were almost financially ruined due to Russell not having paid rent or utilities for about a year."
TRUE:
The Broads were already financially ruined before I signed the lease—that's why they needed me. Within six months, I had paid over R1 million in rent and utilities—more than they'd earned in the previous two years combined. Their claim of non-payment hinges on a fraudulent protection order that barred me, my staff, and my guests from coming within 500 metres of the property, making income impossible. Breach meant arrest. They caused the default, then exploited it to claim ruin.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"I thought we followed all the right procedures when we let the property to him."
TRUE:
They didn't just follow the procedures—they proposed them. The lease was their idea, their agreement, and their signature. It explicitly allowed short-term subletting. I honoured every clause. They responded with multiple illegal evictions, fabricated arrears, and false claims of damage—trying to reclaim a property they hadn't expected to rise in value. This wasn't a misunderstanding. It was a deliberate campaign to seize a now-profitable asset without paying for the work that made it so.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"No matter what we tried to get him out legally, the odds seemed always to be stacked in his favour."
TRUE:
The law wasn't on my side—it was on the side of the truth. They signed the lease, took the rent, greenlit the business model, and then tried to claw back a now-transformed property by fabricating arrears and damage. The courts rejected their lies. When the legal route failed, they turned to SAPS, WdS, and unlawful evictions. The only thing stacked against them was the truth.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
What’s “heartbreaking” is watching the person who orchestrated your arrest give a media interview inside the very house they stole from you. What’s “heartbreaking” is returning to Pollsmoor for a second time because of their lies—then watching as they use your stolen designs to sell the home for millions more. What’s “heartbreaking” is building something extraordinary, only to have it looted by criminals masquerading as victims, cheered on by journalists who never once asked a question. That’s not heartbreak. That’s betrayal.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"He was first arrested in about mid-2022 and released on bail. He has now been arrested on more fraud charges as more victims have come to the fore.”
TRUE:
The phrase “more victims have come to the fore” is entirely untrue. The charges that led to my arrest stemmed from three complaints dating back to December 2021—dockets that had already been investigated, found to contain no criminal element, and closed. No new victims ever emerged. The publication recycles the same fiction repeatedly, despite the courts dismissing the very claims they continue to print as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“When owner Keith Broad asked private investigator WdS of Fox Forensics to get rid of the tenants, the tide began to turn against Russell.”
TRUE:
This quote admits to a criminal conspiracy—yet Media24 presented it as if it were lawful or even admirable. No lawful landlord hires a private investigator to “get rid of” tenants. The legal route is clear: apply for an eviction order. Keith Broad never did—because he had no grounds. Instead, he sent WdS and eight thugs to violently seize the property, eject the occupants, and change the locks. No court order. No sheriff. No legal basis. This was an unlawful eviction carried out by brute force. And yet Media24 published it without question—as though such conduct was routine or justified.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Some properties he also apparently subleased in the long term, with the owners struggling to get rid of the illegal tenants or get their hands on the slippery Russell.”
TRUE:
Not a single tenancy agreement, not a single tenant, not a single WhatsApp, email, complaint, lease document, or court filing has ever been produced to support the claim that I sublet any property on a long-term basis. Every booking was short-term—typically between 2 and 14 nights. A handful lasted up to 3 weeks, but there were zero long-term tenants. We would have lost a fortune. The entire model was built on short lets for financial viability. The claim is pure invention, unsupported by any evidence, and could have been debunked by anyone with access to guest calendars, agent correspondence, or platform logs.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
They called it “heartbreaking.” But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it. Heartbreaking is living in fear cancer will kill your mother before you see her again. Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and cover-ups —only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
They called it “heartbreaking.” But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it. Heartbreaking is living in fear cancer will kill your mother before you see her again. Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and cover-ups —only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
They called it “heartbreaking.” But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it. Heartbreaking is living in fear cancer will kill your mother before you see her again. Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and cover-ups —only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
Column 1: Fact File Title – the title for each entry.
Column 2: Fact File Text – the corresponding paragraph.
Pls place each title directly above its respective paragraph and format it accordingly
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"He also allegedly carried out illegal construction work on the houses by breaking and building walls, changing kitchens, and laying floors without the permission of the owners.”
TRUE:
The entire proposal for the lease and renovation model came from Keith Broad. He not only consented—he orchestrated it. If the upgrades were unauthorised, why didn’t he object? Why no demand to undo them? Why no repairs? Why no receipts? Why, when he repossessed the property, did he leave every tile, appliance, layout, and finish exactly as I designed it? Why are his current marketing photos still showing my transformation? If the work was “illegal construction,” it’s strange that he’s now profiting from it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Those who managed to track him down and confront him about what he was doing were told to ‘take me to court.’”
TRUE:
This is an outright fabrication. I lived in the very same villas we advertised, the very sme villas where the business and staff were based, the very same villas I leased from the landlords and the very same villas I had spent the entire previous year in, leaving Llandudno just once for two days.. No one needed to “track me down”, I ws likely the easiest person in the world to find. The idea that I told people to “take me to court” is pure fiction—no such confrontation ever happened. no such words ever left my mouth, no such words were ever typed or conveyed. This statement, like many others, was spoon-fed by de Swardt to create a false image of a conman evading accountability—yet Media24 made no attempt to verify it. Not a single guest, booking platform, or witness ever claimed this happened.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“A British citizen who was arrested for fraud on 4 August this year and released shortly after on bail of R30 000 was arrested again on Wednesday on similar charges.”
TRUE:
I was not arrested for fraud on 4 August — that charge never existed. The arrest stemmed from fabricated theft and damage claims made by Inge Broad, not fraud, and the charge was later thrown out by the magistrate. This crucial fact is omitted in every article, despite the outcome being a matter of public record. The journalist had four months to verify the charges before publication. Instead, Media24 repeated the same falsehood across three platforms and four journalists, parroting a narrative manufactured by WdS and the landlords — not the facts presented in court.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“When owner Keith Broad asked private investigator WdS of Fox Forensics to get rid of the tenants, the tide began to turn against Russell.”
TRUE:
This quote admits to a criminal conspiracy—yet Media24 presented it as if it were lawful or even admirable. No lawful landlord hires a private investigator to “get rid of” tenants. The legal route is clear: apply for an eviction order. Keith Broad never did—because he had no grounds. Instead, he sent WdS and eight thugs to violently seize the property, eject the occupants, and change the locks. No court order. No sheriff. No legal basis. This was an unlawful eviction carried out by brute force. And yet Media24 published it without question—as though such conduct was routine or justified.
The “tide” didn’t turn because of facts or justice—it turned because WdS weaponised the police and the press. After being hired by Broad, he orchestrated arrests, planted narratives in Media24, and ensured I was painted as the villain. Meanwhile, the true story—of a tenant who paid over a million Rand and spent months transforming the property—was buried. This wasn’t a tide; it was a hit job, backed by a complicit journalist, rogue SAPS officers, and a publication that never sought comment or checked court records.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“He rents rich man's houses along Cape Town's Atlantic and False Bay coasts. He would live in the properties for a month or two and pay his rent and then stop paying. In the meantime, he then advertises the luxury homes on websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com.”
TRUE:
The claim is entirely false and falls apart under basic scrutiny. The leases were legitimate, honored, and fully documented. If I had stopped paying after a month or two, the total cost would have been 200K–600K. Instead, I paid nearly R5 million in rent, over R6.5 million when including bills and housekeeper salaries, and invested more than R8 million in property upgrades. This is not the behavior of someone attempting to "scam" free accommodation—it reflects a tenant operating a high-end guest business with full landlord approval.
The allegation collapses with a simple question: why spend R6 million on rent, R2 million on salaries, R8 million on refurbishments, and R1.5 million on legal fees for non-functional properties? Why invest R500,000 in platform fees, repairs, and management costs to run a supposed scam? If the claim were true, Airbnb or Booking.com complaints would exist—but none do. At the article's publication, our Booking.com profile remained active and accredited.
The journalist never contacted me, verified financial figures, or investigated why, if I were defrauding owners, I would pay millions, hold five-year leases, and operate transparently with landlords. This narrative is pure fiction, perpetuated by WdS and published without a single verification.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Apparently, Russell also double-rented some of the properties he rented—or as de Swardt says—even triple-rented.”
TRUE:
This is the single most damaging fabrication in the entire campaign—and entirely false. Despite years of searches, raids, arrests, and access to my laptops, phones, platforms, and accounts, no evidence of double- or triple-renting has ever been produced—because it never happened.
WDS, PD, and KB spent two years using private investigators, SAPS officers, and court processes to hunt for fraud. They found none. From Hout Bay to Hawks to Bellville Commercial, thousands of hours were wasted chasing a lie. If even one double-rental existed, they would never have needed to recycle old December 2021 complaints. Yet Media24 parroted this claim without verification, presenting WDS’s fiction as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“A lawyer representing Russell’s lawyer, one T. Swartz, asked the court for an adjournment until March 7. The stand-in attorney said Swartz had not yet received financial instructions from Russell. Russell and Swartz must then tell the court whether Swartz is going to stay, Russell is going to appoint a new legal representative, or whether he is going to use legal aid.”
TRUE:
This brief exchange reveals a far more significant truth Media24 refused to confront: if I was sitting on the kind of millions they repeatedly claimed I’d “scammed,” I wouldn’t have been stuck in Pollsmoor prison without a lawyer, relying on my mother to cover basic legal fees. The idea that I would choose to remain in one of the most dangerous prisons in the country—if I had access to money—is absurd.
The fact that legal aid was even mentioned is a glaring red flag. It proves what Media24’s narrative cannot explain: there was no pile of stolen cash, no lucrative scam, no secret bank accounts. There was just a man with no money, facing fabricated charges, while the journalists who should have spotted this contradiction kept the fantasy going.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
They called it “heartbreaking.” But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it.
Heartbreaking is living in fear your cancer will kill you before you see your mother again. Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and silence—only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother.
That’s not their heartbreak. That’s mine.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "That was despite the damage caused to the property."
TRUE:
There was no "damage"—there was transformation. The Broads entered into the lease precisely so I would upgrade their rundown villa at my own expense.
That transformation was the foundation of their entire scam. I landscaped the garden, installed two new kitchens, redesigned the interiors, refurbished bathrooms, replaced flooring, created new ensuite bedrooms, and added outdoor entertainment spaces.
The result? A R13 million increase in value—and a luxury property they could sell.
They didn’t undo a single feature. They used my work to market the house and boost the asking price. If it was truly "damage," why did they keep every change, photograph it for sales ads, and pocket the profit? The only thing that was damaged was the truth.
And Media24 helped bury it by repeating the lie and never once asking for evidence.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “The laws are really not fair towards property owners,” she told News24.
TRUE:
The laws weren’t unfair—they just got in the way of their scam. They signed a valid lease, watched me invest millions transforming their rundown home, then tried to steal it back. The courts stopped them—because I was a lawful tenant, not a squatter.
What the Broads really wanted was a system that let them breach the lease, ignore contract law, seize my investments, and cash in—without consequences. When the law held them accountable, they cried foul. Media24 sided with them, painting them as victims while ignoring every ruling that exposed their fraud.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “It is costing us a fortune to repair the damage to our property.”“Which was supposed to provide us with an income.”
TRUE:
They didn’t spend a cent on repairs—I did. I paid for the renovations, the upgrades, and the fixes after their own thugs trashed the place. The property was pristine when I was illegally evicted. They used my décor, my finishes, and my furniture to sell it.
As for income, I paid them over R1 million in rent and utilities in the first few months alone—more than they’d made in years. It only stopped when they sabotaged the business, blocked my listings, and forced me out. They caused the loss—then blamed me. Media24 asked no questions, and published both lies as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
This figure is pure fiction. No official body, financial institution, police docket, or court ever cited such an amount. It originated solely from WdS and was printed by News24 without a shred of evidence. If R34 million had actually been defrauded—requiring thousands of victims—there would be a paper trail, complaints, platform bans, or at the very least, an online footprint.
Yet there is nothing. No police statements from guests. No charge sheets referencing it. No bank alerts. No civil litigation. Nothing. The platforms remained active, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and no guest has ever made such a claim. The number was invented to create a media spectacle and repeated to bolster a criminal narrative that never existed.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
The R34 million claim is as absurd as it is damaging. It implies that a single individual defrauded thousands of guests without anyone noticing, without any negative reviews, and without a single platform flagging the account. It implies that banks, police, the NPA, and financial crime units all failed to investigate a multi-million rand scam—because it never happened.
The truth is this figure was cooked up by WdS, repeated verbatim by Media24, and given the illusion of credibility by constant repetition. There is no evidence, no victim testimony, and no official endorsement of this figure. It is a fabricated anchor for a false narrative—and a serious journalistic failure.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
The R34 million claim is as absurd as it is damaging. It implies that a single individual defrauded thousands of guests without anyone noticing, without any negative reviews, and without a single platform flagging the account. It implies that banks, police, the NPA, and financial crime units all failed to investigate a multi-million rand scam—because it never happened.
The truth is this figure was cooked up by WdS, repeated verbatim by Media24, and given the illusion of credibility by constant repetition. There is no evidence, no victim testimony, and no official endorsement of this figure. It is a fabricated anchor for a false narrative—and a serious journalistic failure.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
“Heartbreaking”? What’s truly heartbreaking is spending a year renovating someone else’s home at your own expense—only to be arrested, illegally evicted, and jailed without charge.
What’s truly heartbreaking is returning from Pollsmoor to find your staff too afraid to work, your jewellery stolen, your income destroyed, and your life’s work dismantled—while Inge stands in the very property she stole, filled with my designs, my furniture, and my heart.
That’s not heartbreak. That’s theft in a dress rehearsal for sainthood.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “That was despite the damage caused to the property.”
TRUE:
They wanted the transformation. They needed the transformation. They got a transformation. They profited from the transformation......
....Then they called it “damage.”
This wasn’t a genuine lament —it was cover for a scam. Media24 didn’t question a word of it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“He rents rich man's houses along Cape Town's Atlantic and False Bay coasts. He would live in the properties for a month or two and pay his rent and then stop paying. In the meantime, he then advertises the luxury homes on websites such as Airbnb and Booking.com.”
TRUE:
The claim is entirely false and falls apart under basic scrutiny. The leases were legitimate, honored, and fully documented. If I had stopped paying after a month or two, the total cost would have been 200K–600K. Instead, I paid nearly R5 million in rent, over R6.5 million when including bills and housekeeper salaries, and invested more than R8 million in property upgrades. This is not the behavior of someone attempting to "scam" free accommodation—it reflects a tenant operating a high-end guest business with full landlord approval.
The allegation collapses with a simple question: why spend R6 million on rent, R2 million on salaries, R8 million on refurbishments, and R1.5 million on legal fees for non-functional properties? Why invest R500,000 in platform fees, repairs, and management costs to run a supposed scam? If the claim were true, Airbnb or Booking.com complaints would exist—but none do. At the article's publication, our Booking.com profile remained active and accredited.
The journalist never contacted me, verified financial figures, or investigated why, if I were defrauding owners, I would pay millions, hold five-year leases, and operate transparently with landlords. This narrative is pure fiction, perpetuated by WdS and published without a single verification.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Apparently, Russell also double-rented some of the properties he rented—or as de Swardt says—even triple-rented.”
TRUE:
This is the single most damaging fabrication in the entire campaign—and entirely false. Despite years of searches, raids, arrests, and access to my laptops, phones, platforms, and accounts, no evidence of double- or triple-renting has ever been produced—because it never happened.
WDS, PD, and KB spent two years using private investigators, SAPS officers, and court processes to hunt for fraud. They found none. From Hout Bay to Hawks to Bellville Commercial, thousands of hours were wasted chasing a lie. If even one double-rental existed, they would never have needed to recycle old December 2021 complaints. Yet Media24 parroted this claim without verification, presenting WDS’s fiction as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“A lawyer representing Russell’s lawyer, one T. Swartz, asked the court for an adjournment until March 7. The stand-in attorney said Swartz had not yet received financial instructions from Russell. Russell and Swartz must then tell the court whether Swartz is going to stay, Russell is going to appoint a new legal representative, or whether he is going to use legal aid.”
TRUE:
This brief exchange reveals a far more significant truth Media24 refused to confront: if I was sitting on the kind of millions they repeatedly claimed I’d “scammed,” I wouldn’t have been stuck in Pollsmoor prison without a lawyer, relying on my mother to cover basic legal fees. The idea that I would choose to remain in one of the most dangerous prisons in the country—if I had access to money—is absurd.
The fact that legal aid was even mentioned is a glaring red flag. It proves what Media24’s narrative cannot explain: there was no pile of stolen cash, no lucrative scam, no secret bank accounts. There was just a man with no money, facing fabricated charges, while the journalists who should have spotted this contradiction kept the fantasy going.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
This figure is pure fiction. No official body, financial institution, police docket, or court ever cited such an amount. It originated solely from WdS and was printed by News24 without a shred of evidence. If R34 million had actually been defrauded—requiring thousands of victims—there would be a paper trail, complaints, platform bans, or at the very least, an online footprint.
Yet there is nothing. No police statements from guests. No charge sheets referencing it. No bank alerts. No civil litigation. Nothing. The platforms remained active, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and no guest has ever made such a claim. The number was invented to create a media spectacle and repeated to bolster a criminal narrative that never existed.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
The R34 million claim is as absurd as it is damaging. It implies that a single individual defrauded thousands of guests without anyone noticing, without any negative reviews, and without a single platform flagging the account. It implies that banks, police, the NPA, and financial crime units all failed to investigate a multi-million rand scam—because it never happened.
The truth is this figure was cooked up by WdS, repeated verbatim by Media24, and given the illusion of credibility by constant repetition. There is no evidence, no victim testimony, and no official endorsement of this figure. It is a fabricated anchor for a false narrative—and a serious journalistic failure.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"It is estimated that the British national made up to R34 million while committing this fraud, according to News24.”
TRUE:
The R34 million claim is as absurd as it is damaging. It implies that a single individual defrauded thousands of guests without anyone noticing, without any negative reviews, and without a single platform flagging the account. It implies that banks, police, the NPA, and financial crime units all failed to investigate a multi-million rand scam—because it never happened.
The truth is this figure was cooked up by WdS, repeated verbatim by Media24, and given the illusion of credibility by constant repetition. There is no evidence, no victim testimony, and no official endorsement of this figure. It is a fabricated anchor for a false narrative—and a serious journalistic failure.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
“Heartbreaking”? What’s truly heartbreaking is spending a year renovating someone else’s home at your own expense—only to be arrested, illegally evicted, and jailed without charge. What’s truly heartbreaking is returning from Pollsmoor to find your staff too afraid to work, your jewellery stolen, your income destroyed, and your life’s work dismantled—while Inge stands in the very property she stole, filled with my designs, my furniture, and my heart. That’s not heartbreak. That’s theft in a dress rehearsal for sainthood.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “That was despite the damage caused to the property.”
TRUE:
They wanted the transformation. They needed the transformation. They got a transformation. They profited from the transformation......
....Then they called it “damage.”
This wasn’t a genuine lament —it was cover for a scam. Media24 didn’t question a word of it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
They called it “heartbreaking.” But what’s truly heartbreaking is being stripped of your freedom, denied bail, and blocked from accessing your own home by the very people who stole it. Heartbreaking is living in fear your cancer will kill you before you see your mother again. Heartbreaking is clawing through two years of lies, theft, and silence—only to see the criminals walk free, posing for media interviews, while the real victim is left fighting for justice with nothing but mouldy clothes and a debt to his mother. That’s not their heartbreak. That’s mine.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
What’s “heartbreaking” is watching the person who orchestrated your arrest give a media interview inside the very house they stole from you. What’s “heartbreaking” is returning to Pollsmoor for a second time because of their lies—then watching as they use your stolen designs to sell the home for millions more. What’s “heartbreaking” is building something extraordinary, only to have it looted by criminals masquerading as victims, cheered on by journalists who never once asked a question. That’s not heartbreak. That’s betrayal.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"He was first arrested in about mid-2022 and released on bail. He has now been arrested on more fraud charges as more victims have come to the fore.”
TRUE:
The phrase “more victims have come to the fore” is entirely untrue. The charges that led to my arrest stemmed from three complaints dating back to December 2021—dockets that had already been investigated, found to contain no criminal element, and closed. No new victims ever emerged. The publication recycles the same fiction repeatedly, despite the courts dismissing the very claims they continue to print as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“When owner Keith Broad asked private investigator WdS of Fox Forensics to get rid of the tenants, the tide began to turn against Russell.”
TRUE:
This quote admits to a criminal conspiracy—yet Media24 presented it as if it were lawful or even admirable. No lawful landlord hires a private investigator to “get rid of” tenants. The legal route is clear: apply for an eviction order. Keith Broad never did—because he had no grounds. Instead, he sent WdS and eight thugs to violently seize the property, eject the occupants, and change the locks. No court order. No sheriff. No legal basis. This was an unlawful eviction carried out by brute force. And yet Media24 published it without question—as though such conduct was routine or justified.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Some properties he also apparently subleased in the long term, with the owners struggling to get rid of the illegal tenants or get their hands on the slippery Russell.”
TRUE:
Not a single tenancy agreement, not a single tenant, not a single WhatsApp, email, complaint, lease document, or court filing has ever been produced to support the claim that I sublet any property on a long-term basis. Every booking was short-term—typically between 2 and 14 nights. A handful lasted up to 3 weeks, but there were zero long-term tenants. We would have lost a fortune. The entire model was built on short lets for financial viability. The claim is pure invention, unsupported by any evidence, and could have been debunked by anyone with access to guest calendars, agent correspondence, or platform logs.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
"He also allegedly carried out illegal construction work on the houses by breaking and building walls, changing kitchens, and laying floors without the permission of the owners.”
TRUE:
The entire proposal for the lease and renovation model came from Keith Broad. He not only consented—he orchestrated it. If the upgrades were unauthorised, why didn’t he object? Why no demand to undo them? Why no repairs? Why no receipts? Why, when he repossessed the property, did he leave every tile, appliance, layout, and finish exactly as I designed it? Why are his current marketing photos still showing my transformation? If the work was “illegal construction,” it’s strange that he’s now profiting from it.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“Those who managed to track him down and confront him about what he was doing were told to ‘take me to court.’”
TRUE:
This is an outright fabrication. I lived in the very same villas we advertised, the very sme villas where the business and staff were based, the very same villas I leased from the landlords and the very same villas I had spent the entire previous year in, leaving Llandudno just once for two days.. No one needed to “track me down”, I ws likely the easiest person in the world to find. The idea that I told people to “take me to court” is pure fiction—no such confrontation ever happened. no such words ever left my mouth, no such words were ever typed or conveyed. This statement, like many others, was spoon-fed by de Swardt to create a false image of a conman evading accountability—yet Media24 made no attempt to verify it. Not a single guest, booking platform, or witness ever claimed this happened.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“A British citizen who was arrested for fraud on 4 August this year and released shortly after on bail of R30 000 was arrested again on Wednesday on similar charges.”
TRUE:
I was not arrested for fraud on 4 August — that charge never existed. The arrest stemmed from fabricated theft and damage claims made by Inge Broad, not fraud, and the charge was later thrown out by the magistrate. This crucial fact is omitted in every article, despite the outcome being a matter of public record. The journalist had four months to verify the charges before publication. Instead, Media24 repeated the same falsehood across three platforms and four journalists, parroting a narrative manufactured by WdS and the landlords — not the facts presented in court.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“When owner Keith Broad asked private investigator WdS of Fox Forensics to get rid of the tenants, the tide began to turn against Russell.”
TRUE:
This quote admits to a criminal conspiracy—yet Media24 presented it as if it were lawful or even admirable. No lawful landlord hires a private investigator to “get rid of” tenants. The legal route is clear: apply for an eviction order. Keith Broad never did—because he had no grounds. Instead, he sent WdS and eight thugs to violently seize the property, eject the occupants, and change the locks. No court order. No sheriff. No legal basis. This was an unlawful eviction carried out by brute force. And yet Media24 published it without question—as though such conduct was routine or justified.
The “tide” didn’t turn because of facts or justice—it turned because WdS weaponised the police and the press. After being hired by Broad, he orchestrated arrests, planted narratives in Media24, and ensured I was painted as the villain. Meanwhile, the true story—of a tenant who paid over a million Rand and spent months transforming the property—was buried. This wasn’t a tide; it was a hit job, backed by a complicit journalist, rogue SAPS officers, and a publication that never sought comment or checked court records.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “Which was supposed to provide us with an income.” said Inge
TRUE:
They were receiving income—directly from me. I paid over R1 million in rent and utilities in just the first few months. At the same time, I was funding a complete top-to-bottom transformation of their rundown property. Then, once the upgrades were complete and the value had soared, they tried to block my bookings, sabotaged my listings, and cut off the very income stream they now claim they were denied.
I couldn’t even advertise the property during much of the construction period—yet they still demanded rent. And, perhaps naively, I continued to pay, believing that doing the right thing would protect me.
Worse, they perjured themselves to obtain a protection order that excluded me, my staff, and guests from coming within 500 metres of the property. When they filed their December application, they listed those same months—where access was legally barred—as rental arrears, failing to mention the exclusion zone entirely.
They sabotaged the business, blocked the revenue, and then complained I hadn’t paid more. I funded their renovations, paid their bills, and ran the business they deliberately destroyed. And Media24, instead of interrogating any of this, simply handed them a microphone.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“We tried blocking his adverts each time we saw any, but he kept creating new ones,” said Inge
TRUE:
This is a direct admission of deliberate financial sabotage. The lease explicitly allowed short-term letting—it was the only way I could recover the millions I invested upgrading their run-down villa. They praised the renovations, then tried to destroy the income stream that funded them. When I kept advertising—as contractually allowed—they accused me of wrongdoing.
Then they blocked the very listings I relied on to fund both the rent and repay the massive outlay, and later claimed arrears. While simultaneously sabotaging every source of revenue, they still expected me to pay them the full rent without a cent omitted.
With every payment of nearly R300,000 approaching, they would harass, threaten, and demand—while at the same time destroying the means by which those payments were generated.
This was not confusion. This was calculated sabotage dressed up as concern. Media24 printed their confession verbatim—without once asking how sabotaging lawful income aligned with their claims of non-payment.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
She called it “heart-breaking.” But the real heartbreak was mine. Heart-breaking is being dragged from the home I poured everything into, watching the keys handed to WdS, knowing they’d be passed to the Broads.
Heart-breaking is watching my dogs abandoned in a garage without food or water.
Heart-breaking is having my bail revoked through lies, standing in court without legal counsel, denied the use of my own property as a bail address—while she posed as a victim in the very villa she stole. “Heartbreaking” doesn’t even come close.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "That was despite the damage caused to the property."
TRUE:
There was no "damage"—there was transformation. The Broads entered into the lease precisely so I would upgrade their rundown villa at my own expense. That transformation was the foundation of their entire scam. I landscaped the garden, installed two new kitchens, redesigned the interiors, refurbished bathrooms, replaced flooring, created new ensuite bedrooms, and added outdoor entertainment spaces. The result? A R13 million increase in value—and a luxury property they could sell.
They didn’t undo a single feature. They used my work to market the house and boost the asking price. If it was truly "damage," why did they keep every change, photograph it for sales ads, and pocket the profit? The only thing that was damaged was the truth. And Media24 helped bury it by repeating the lie and never once asking for evidence.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “The laws are really not fair towards property owners,” she told News24.
TRUE:
The laws weren’t unfair—they just got in the way of their scam. They signed a valid lease, watched me invest millions transforming their rundown home, then tried to steal it back. The courts stopped them—because I was a lawful tenant, not a squatter.
What the Broads really wanted was a system that let them breach the lease, ignore contract law, seize my investments, and cash in—without consequences. When the law held them accountable, they cried foul. Media24 sided with them, painting them as victims while ignoring every ruling that exposed their fraud.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “It is costing us a fortune to repair the damage to our property.”“Which was supposed to provide us with an income.”
TRUE:
They didn’t spend a cent on repairs—I did. I paid for the renovations, the upgrades, and the fixes after their own thugs trashed the place. The property was pristine when I was illegally evicted. They used my décor, my finishes, and my furniture to sell it.
As for income, I paid them over R1 million in rent and utilities in the first few months alone—more than they’d made in years. It only stopped when they sabotaged the business, blocked my listings, and forced me out. They caused the loss—then blamed me. Media24 asked no questions, and published both lies as fact.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: “Which was supposed to provide us with an income.” said Inge
TRUE:
They were receiving income—directly from me. I paid over R1 million in rent and utilities in just the first few months. At the same time, I was funding a complete top-to-bottom transformation of their rundown property. Then, once the upgrades were complete and the value had soared, they tried to block my bookings, sabotaged my listings, and cut off the very income stream they now claim they were denied.
I couldn’t even advertise the property during much of the construction period—yet they still demanded rent. And, perhaps naively, I continued to pay, believing that doing the right thing would protect me.
Worse, they perjured themselves to obtain a protection order that excluded me, my staff, and guests from coming within 500 metres of the property. When they filed their December application, they listed those same months—where access was legally barred—as rental arrears, failing to mention the exclusion zone entirely.
They sabotaged the business, blocked the revenue, and then complained I hadn’t paid more. I funded their renovations, paid their bills, and ran the business they deliberately destroyed. And Media24, instead of interrogating any of this, simply handed them a microphone.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
“We tried blocking his adverts each time we saw any, but he kept creating new ones,” said Inge
TRUE:
This is a direct admission of deliberate financial sabotage. The lease explicitly allowed short-term letting—it was the only way I could recover the millions I invested upgrading their run-down villa. They praised the renovations, then tried to destroy the income stream that funded them. When I kept advertising—as contractually allowed—they accused me of wrongdoing.
Then they blocked the very listings I relied on to fund both the rent and repay the massive outlay, and later claimed arrears. While simultaneously sabotaging every source of revenue, they still expected me to pay them the full rent without a cent omitted. With every payment of nearly R300,000 approaching, they would harass, threaten, and demand—while at the same time destroying the means by which those payments were generated. This was not confusion. This was calculated sabotage dressed up as concern. Media24 printed their confession verbatim—without once asking how sabotaging lawful income aligned with their claims of non-payment.
Media24’s False and Fabricated Articles vs the Facts and the Truth
MEDIA24
FALSE:
INGE BROAD: "Inge (surname withheld) told News24 it was heartbreaking and frustrating to see what was done to her and her husband’s luxury property on the Atlantic seaboard."
TRUE:
She called it “heartbreaking.” But the real heartbreak was mine. Heartbreaking is being dragged from the home I poured everything into, watching the keys handed to WdS, knowing they’d be passed to the Broads. Heartbreaking is watching my dogs abandoned in a garage without food or water. Heartbreaking is having my bail revoked through lies, standing in court without legal counsel, denied the use of my own property as a bail address—while she posed as a victim in the very villa she stole. “Heartbreaking” doesn’t even come close.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King Jr.