Former attorney and Real Housewives of Pretoria figure Peet Viljoen has reportedly been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after returning to South Africa from the United States.
The Peet Viljoen arrest follows his deportation after about 100 days in US detention. It also brings renewed attention to a long-running South African fraud, theft and corruption case linked to Johannesburg metro properties.
Peet Viljoen arrest follows US deportation
Cape Town Etc reported that Viljoen was arrested shortly after landing at OR Tambo on Tuesday evening after travelling from Newark, New Jersey. The report said the arrest related to fraud, theft and corruption charges dating back to 2010.
Viljoen had been held in the US after a March 2026 arrest in Boca Raton, Florida. US authorities alleged that he and his wife, Mel Viljoen, were involved in a grocery shoplifting case at a Publix supermarket.
According to South African Lawyer, citing News24 and Rapport, Viljoen appeared virtually before US immigration judge Vikram Badrinath on 4 June 2026. During that hearing, he asked to be deported, saying his health had worsened in detention and that his father was seriously ill.
Old Johannesburg property case returns to focus
The South African case dates back to 2010. The Citizen has reported that Viljoen and five others were arrested after properties linked to the Johannesburg Property Company were allegedly stolen through unlawful sales and transfers.
The same report said Viljoen faced up to 297 fraud charges, alternating with theft and forgery, while corruption charges brought the total to 347. The case involves allegations that metro properties were transferred through a front company before being sold to buyers.
Viljoen has denied wrongdoing. In earlier comments reported by The Citizen and Netwerk24, he said: “I was just the correspondent transfer attorney.” He also claimed the proceedings were irregular and described the matter as a conspiracy against him.
The Citizen reported in November 2025 that Viljoen had not been acquitted in the criminal case. It said a review dealt with procedural irregularities in earlier plea proceedings, not a finding of innocence.
Responses and next steps
No public SAPS or NPA statement confirming the reported OR Tambo arrest could be located by publication time. As a result, the current status of any first court appearance remains unclear.
The Peet Viljoen arrest may now move attention back to the long-delayed Johannesburg property matter. However, any next step will depend on formal confirmation from police, prosecutors or the court roll.