Lavish homes left by fleeing Guptas up for sale in South Africa

The brothers fled to Dubai before the ruling African National Congress in 2018 forced Jacob Zuma to quit as president

- Bloomberg

South Africa is selling off three multimillion rand mansions owned by the Gupta brothers, a trio of influential Indian-born businessmen at the centre of a corruption scandal that triggered the country's worst political and economic crisis since the end of Apartheid.

Atul, Rajesh and Ajay Gupta began buying the properties in Thursday's auction in 2006. There, in Saxonwold, one of Johannesburg's oldest and most affluent neighbourhoods, they entertained top politicians and businessmen for at least a decade.

But as their public profile grew, so did allegations that they exerted undue influence over the state for their own enrichment. Protesters gathered regularly outside the compound's high walls and perimeter fences, demanding accountability.

The brothers fled to Dubai shortly before the ruling African National Congress in 2018 forced Jacob Zuma to quit as president to stem a loss in electoral support, partly due to his links to the family.

Their compound has been largely empty ever since. Protected by private armed guards, it became a symbol among opposition members and activists of the staggering levels of corruption in the country, and the challenges in holding those implicated in that corruption to account.