Pretoria - A well-known multi-millionaire entrepreneur from Cape Town was arrested for alleged speeding in his black Porsche on Thursday evening in Bronkhorstspruit.
Tshwane metro police caught the man, who has not yet appeared in court, for exceeding the 120km/h speed limit by more than 60km/h.
The Pretoria News has reliably learnt the identity of the man as coal-mining mogul Quinton van der Burgh, who allegedly hit 181km/h on the N4 east highway.
Metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba, refused to confirm the man’s identity but confirmed that a celebrity millionaire was arrested for speeding. Mahamba said the man was on his way to Witbank when he was arrested at the Bossemanskraal off-ramp.
“He did not give a reason as to why he was speeding. He will face charges of speeding and reckless and negligent driving,” he said.
Van der Burgh was released on bail and is expected to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court soon.
Van der Burgh, who is in his 30s, is chief executive of family-owned investment company Burgh Group Holdings.
By the age of 21, Van der Burgh had made his first million. He also has a hand in the hospitality industry and the fashion world.
Before founding Burgh Group Holdings, he spent more than a decade running businesses in the telecoms, trading, mining and automotive industries.
Apart from coal mining, Van der Burgh is known for producing and starring in the reality television show Clifton Shores. He not only starred in the unscripted series but funded it as well. The show features Van der Burgh and four American girls who leave the US to live in Clifton Beach and work for his events company Quintessential.
He was listed by Forbes last year as one of the Ten Young African millionaires to watch.
When the Pretoria News contacted Quinton van der Burgh Investments, a holding company of Eyethu Coal, they denied the arrest and declined to provide further information.
Incidentally, Van der Burgh’s named cropped up in the Oscar Pistorius trial on Friday when prosecutor Gerrie Nel questioned the Paralympian about an altercation the pair had. Their tiff – later resolved by the Hawks – involved Pistorius’s girlfriend at the time, Samantha Taylor.
Apparently, Pistorius found out about Van der Burgh’s relationship with Taylor when he returned from the London Olympics.
At an event at Kyalami race track, Pistorius reportedly confronted Van der Burgh about the situation. The latter then laid charges of intimidation against Pistorius.
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