In a move that has sparked widespread debate on South African social media, reality TV personality Mel Viljoen (known from Real Housewives of Pretoria) posted a joint apology on Instagram on behalf of herself and her husband, disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen.

The statement, shared widely on other social media platforms, comes as Peet faces serious criminal charges in South Africa following their return from the United States.

The apology

The lengthy Instagram stories post (shared on X by reporter Slindelo Sebata), the disgraced reality overlaid text on a black-and-white photo of herself as she tried to frame their remorse in religious and reflective terms. It begins:

“To everyone we have hurt, this is one of the most difficult posts we have ever written. Over the past few weeks, the Lord has done a profound work in both my heart and Peet’s heart… Today, we want to take responsibility for our past. To the people we hurt through our videos, our words, and our actions – we are truly sorry.”

The statement referred to speaking “without enough grace” and “without enough compassion,” calling their words in videos, interviews, social media posts, and personal interactions actions that “caused real hurt” and “wounded people.”

She further claimed they cannot erase the past, but sought forgiveness regardless, while committing to changed behaviour as evidence of genuine repentance.

Previously, the couple had been vocal critics of South Africa, attaching their brand to the falsified “white genocide” concept. Peet had stood by controversial statements even after earlier scrutiny.

A backdrop of scandals

The apology arrives at a turbulent time for the embattled couple. Peet was arrested by the Hawks shortly after returning to South Africa and appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court facing more than 400 charges, including fraud, corruption, theft, forgery, and money laundering.

These stem from an alleged R27 million scheme involving the fraudulent sale of Johannesburg municipal properties around 2010.

The couple’s US stint ended in controversy, during which they were arrested in Florida for alleged shoplifting (which they attributed to a bank card issue), faced franchise disputes with Tammy Taylor Nails (involving accusations of counterfeiting and unpaid judgments), and were detained over irregularities in their immigration status.

Earlier business dealings related to their Tammy Taylor franchise sales have also left victims facing financial losses, even after said victims took legal action and were, in some cases, victorious in court.

Reactions on X (formerly Twitter) and broader social media have been overwhelmingly sceptical, with many viewing the apology as a “pre-jail redemption arc” or lawyer-advised damage control rather than authentic remorse.