Business mogul Edwin Sodi excited as court strikes off case
Businessman Edwin Sodi made a brief appearance at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday as his trial came to an unexpected conclusion.
The case, which stemmed from 2022 charges of assault, attempted murder, and pointing a firearm, was officially struck off the roll.
The charges were linked to an incident at the Bryanston home he once shared with his estranged wife, Nthateng Lerata.
However, during the proceedings, the state revealed that Lerata had submitted a statement indicating her decision to withdraw from the matter.
She was not present in court, nor was her friend, Faial Motlekar, another key party in the case.
With both individuals unwilling to proceed, Sodi’s legal team pushed for the matter to be formally withdrawn.
The court ultimately confirmed that Motlekar would not pursue the case, and Sodi and Lerata had reached an out-of-court settlement.
Speaking outside the courtroom, Sodi expressed relief that the ordeal had finally ended.
“I am glad it is over. There is no longer any relationship between me and Lerata. I have been coming to court for three years—22 or 23 times—imagine how costly that has been. This was a case that should never have reached this point,” he stated.
He also made it clear that he was ready to move forward.
“I have serious matters to focus on, I have businesses to run—minus one problem. Now, we deal with the rest. These were nonsense allegations, and it took too long for the court to reach the right decision. I believe the magistrate made the correct ruling, even though the state wanted to continue.”
