Peet Viljoen’s R400K Bail Fund Crashes As BackaBuddy Pulls The Plug Ahead Of Court Showdown

Disbarred lawyer Peet Viljoen is heading back to court on Wednesday, but his bid to raise money for his legal fight has already suffered a major blow. Just days before his anticipated bail application, BackaBuddy pulled the plug on a crowdfunding campaign that was meant to help cover his mounting legal costs.

The fundraiser, launched by family friend Tammy van der Merwe together with Peet’s wife, reality TV personality Mel Viljoen, hoped to raise R400,000 while the former lawyer remains behind bars. Instead, it struggled to gain momentum, raising just R3,500 before disappearing from the platform.

Peet Viljoen’s BackaBuddy Campaign Ends Abruptly

Visitors trying to access the fundraiser are now met with a notice confirming that the campaign has been closed in line with BackaBuddy’s platform standards and terms and conditions.

The crowdfunding platform said the decision was made to protect donors, campaign creators and the integrity of its community. It also confirmed that all eligible donations would be refunded and encouraged donors with questions to contact its support team.

While BackaBuddy did not disclose the specific reason for removing the campaign, it stressed that these decisions are not taken lightly and are guided by principles of fairness, transparency and trust.

The removal comes after the fundraiser failed to attract widespread public support despite the couple’s high-profile legal troubles.

Peet Viljoen Prepares For Bail Battle

As the fundraiser disappears, attention now shifts to the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria, where Peet is expected to launch a formal bail application.

The former celebrity lawyer is facing around 400 charges, including fraud, theft, corruption, forgery and uttering, in connection with an alleged R27.6 million Johannesburg Property Company property fraud scheme.

According to the Hawks, several Johannesburg Property Company properties were allegedly sold to unsuspecting buyers in 2010 without the company’s knowledge or authorisation. Although ownership was transferred, investigators allege the company never received payment, resulting in millions of rands in losses.

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Peet’s legal troubles do not end there. He and Mel are also facing the fallout from a United States court ruling ordering them to pay Tammy Taylor USA about R71 million in damages over trademark infringement. They also continue to face allegations from South African franchisees, who claim they lost millions after allegedly buying Tammy Taylor franchises from a company that did not own the rights to sell them.

Peet was arrested on 16 June after being deported from the United States, where he had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He was taken into custody upon landing at OR Tambo International Airport before being transferred to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.

During his previous court appearance, prosecutor Willem van Zyl indicated that the State intends opposing bail. He also revealed that prosecutors plan to rely on some of the couple’s social media posts during the bail proceedings, although he did not specify which posts.

Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Peet has appointed a new senior advocate to lead his bail application.

Meanwhile, Mel recently shared an emotional apology on social media, describing it as one of the hardest statements she and her husband had ever written. She said they wanted to take responsibility for their past actions and apologised to people they had hurt through their words, videos and behaviour.

Whether the apology or the failed fundraiser will have any bearing on public opinion remains to be seen, but all eyes will now be on Wednesday’s bail hearing.