The son of the president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, an international playboy, has gone on a spending spree in Cape Town, the Cape Times website reported on Wednesday.
It said Teodorin Nguema Obiang (34) has splashed millions on house renovations, cars, hotel accommodation and entertainment.
Called Teodorin in his home country, he had spent close to R10-million since the weekend, said sources who asked not to be named.
Most of the 500 000 citizens in Equatorial Guinea live on a dollar a day.
Teodorin is the minister of forestry, environment and housing in the government of his father, Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
He owns a stake in a logging company which reportedly has a multimillion-rand turnover.
A graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, Teodorin is also the owner of the only government-approved private radio station in Equatorial Guinea, Radio Asonga.
He also runs Television Asonga, which is owned by his father, and owns the hip hop record label TNO (for Teodorin Nguema Obiang) Records.
It is understood that Teodorin spent an estimated R7-million on two Bentleys during his time in Cape Town.
Another R3,2-million was blown on a white 2005 6-litre Lamborghini at Bloomsbury in Buitengracht Street.
The cars were parked outside the Mount Nelson Hotel on Monday, where staff said the vehicles were bought this weekend by a ”an African prince”.
Teodorin’s architects were also reliably understood to be starting shortly with multimillion-rand renovations to his properties.
These included 35 Klaassens Road, Bishopscourt, which he bought in March last year for a reported R26-million and 76 Fourth Beach, Clifton, bought for R23,5-million.
Teodorin left his hotel on Tuesday morning with a large entourage of security guards, personal assistants and a chauffeur, after spending R15 000 on French champagne on Friday night. The luxury suite where he stayed cost R8 030 per night.
An official of the Equatorial Guinea embassy in Pretoria said Teodorin’s visit was in his private capacity.
”What do you want with him? His private business is not for you to put in the newspaper,” she said. – Sapa