It seems that Peet and Melany Viljoen are now living in the US, with him urging white South Africans to join him there.
Did Peet and Melany Viljoen of Tammy Taylor franchise fame really skip the country? It seems like they did if you look at Peet Viljoen’s latest video on Instagram, where he makes various racist statements and urges white people to follow him to the US.
Peet Viljoen and his wife, Melany, have been in the news for the past few years after various people accused them of selling Tammy Taylor franchises that never materialised. Some of these complainants won their court cases against the Viljoens.
In the latest court case that The Citizen reported on, North Gauteng High Court judge, Joseph Raulinga ordered that the Viljoens must pay back the R600 000 a woman paid for a Tammy Taylor franchise. He also declared the transaction unconscionable, unjust and unreasonable in terms of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), and void.
He also ordered that Tammy Taylor Global Franchising, as well as both the Viljoens, “immediately cease representing or holding out to the public that they have the legal authority and right to sell Tammy Taylor nail franchises in South Africa, without authorisation under the Trade Marks Act.”
In addition, he ordered that they remove all references to Tammy Taylor from their websites, stationery, forms, marketing material, salon products, and social media platforms within 30 days from 25 April.
Raulinga also ordered the registrar of the court to forward a copy of the order and all the papers to the National Prosecuting Authority. The Hawks confirmed to The Citizen that it is investigating.
ALSO READ: Tammy Taylor Global Franchising gets a big hiding in South African high court
Viljoens earlier denied they are leaving SA
Private investigator Mike Bolhuis said in May, just after news of the latest judgment against the Viljoens became public, that he received information indicating that the Viljoens planned to evade justice by moving to the United States of America.
In response, Peet Viljoen told Rapport that they are not leaving the country and that they are simply going on holiday to Perth in Australia where they will open a franchise. He said that they had no intention to leave South Africa permanently and even provided ‘evidence’ in the form of copies of plane tickets to Perth.
However, this past Sunday, Viljoen told Rapport that he has in fact left South Africa for the US and that he has no intention of returning to South Africa.
Rapport referred to – now deleted – statements Peet made on his Instagram account. According to Rapport, his original video included the statement: “I don’t speak baboon anymore,” and the assertion that he left South Africa for the US due to South Africa’s racial laws and the “inferior mental capacity of the black person in South Africa”.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Real Tammy Taylor says Peet and Melany Viljoen stole her identity
Viljoen says they moved to US for safety reasons
In addition, he claimed he moved to America because he fears for his safety in South Africa, citing the EFF and its leader Julius Malema in several claims. It seems that these claims have been edited out later as it is not on his account anymore, while the post shows that it has been edited.
However, there are videos on his Instagram and TikTok accounts where he talks at length about leaving South Africa to live in the US and offering to help South Africans who want to move there, as he believes there is no future for the white man in the country.
This is his video on Instagram:
This is his video on TikTok:
@melviljoen Hoekom ons VSA toe trek. Ons aanvaar nie #killtheboer nie! Volg ons Amerika toe. Die Amerikaanse droom is lewensig! #amerikaners #melpeetviljoen #melinamerica ♬ original sound – Mel Viljoen
But Bolhuis says the Viljoens are planning to use the current political climate between South Africa and the US as an excuse to evade justice for crimes they committed in South Africa.
“It is clear from Viljoen’s statements that he is attempting to provoke a public response from the EFF and other anti-racism activist groups, with the hope of using it to appeal to the US government that his life could be in danger if he returns to South Africa.
“This is a sly and corrupt way of obtaining and using refugee status to evade justice in South Africa.”
According to Bolhuis, the Viljoens sold their assets in South Africa and lied about their intentions to leave the country by claiming they were merely taking a holiday in Australia.
ALSO READ: Real Tammy Taylor owns her trademark, not the Viljoens – expert
Viljoen says he is an attorney despite being disbarred
Viljoen also says in his TikTok video that he is a South African attorney who moved to America for his own safety, although he was debarred in South Africa. On his X profile he describes himself as a “law broker” who “uses his legal expertise to help people find the right lawyer”. In a post on another platform, he claims to be the first law broker in South Africa.
According to Bolhuis, a warrant of arrest will soon be issued for them, which he says is the main reason for their departure from South Africa. “If the Viljoens succeed in evading justice by finding refuge in America, this will set a standard and it will open the door for widespread corruption and many similar cases will soon follow.
“They must return to South Africa and face justice for their actions.”
Bolhuis is warning the South African and American public not to fall victim to Viljoen’s manipulation.
“He is well-spoken and he knows how to appear sincere. There is a good reason why Viljoen has been the centre of several controversies surrounding his business dealings over the years.
“He uses manipulation and sophistication to draw victims into conducting business with him. Once the victims discover that he is not adhering to his end of the agreement, he turns to intimidation, extortion and threats to convince his victims not to file or to withdraw criminal charges against him.”
