BREAKING: Insurance Giant Santam and Attorneys SJA Exposed in Alleged Criminal Conspiracy

Johannesburg – A scandal of seismic proportions is erupting in South Africa’s financial and legal sectors. Santam Ltd, one of the country’s most powerful insurers, together with its attorneys Savage Jooste & Adams Inc. (SJA), now face mounting allegations of fraud, misconduct, and systemic abuse of policyholders’ rights.
At the centre of this storm stands Professor David Kidmann, a whistle-blower and legal expert who says he will not be intimidated into silence. 

Armed with evidence, filings, and regulatory complaints, Kidmann has already alerted the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), the National Financial Ombud (NFO), and the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit (SCCU). All three have formally acknowledged receipt of his complaints and requested evidentiary proof — signalling that regulators are taking the case seriously.

But what exactly is the scandal?
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The Alleged Scheme

A Playbook of Deception
Documents reveal how Santam repudiated Kidmann’s claim on unlawful grounds, voided his policy, and then circulated his special personal information (without consent) across its networks — including to his brokerage firm. According to Kidmann, this was not an isolated blunder but a deliberate tactic: 

• Policy Voided Without Cause – Santam allegedly demanded disclosure of information never requested at underwriting stage. Under Section 2 of the Insurance Act, this is expressly prohibited. 

• Weaponisation of Data – Sensitive personal records, uplifted without lawful authority, were processed and disseminated in breach of POPIA Section 106. 

• Blacklisting Policyholders – Once a claim is voided, future applications to other insurers become impossible, as applicants must answer “yes” when asked if they’ve ever been refused cover. This effectively blacklists victims from the insurance market.

“This is corporate assassination,” Kidmann says. “By unlawfully voiding policies, Santam condemns people to financial exclusion. It’s insurance redlining, South African style.”
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SLAPP Tactics: The Legal Sledgehammer
Equally alarming are the tactics employed by Savage Jooste & Adams Inc.

Instead of addressing the substantive merits of the complaint, the firm allegedly unleashed a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). These lawsuits, infamous worldwide, are designed not to win in court but to drain the target of time, resources, and emotional stamina.

Court documents in Case No. 2025-014308 (Santam Ltd v. Pretorius, Mendes & Minister of Police) show a pattern: repeated interlocutory applications, inflated allegations of harassment, and mischaracterisations of correspondence — all intended to paint the insured as irrational and dangerous while diverting attention from Santam’s regulatory breaches.

“SLAPP suits are the last refuge of bullies,” Kidmann explains. “They weaponise the courts, hoping ordinary citizens will collapse under the weight of endless litigation. But I won’t back down.”
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Regulators Close In
Kidmann’s complaints have already triggered multiple disciplinary and regulatory channels: 

• FSCA – Reviewing potential breaches of Treating Customers Fairly principles and Policyholder Protection Rules. 

• NFO – Assessing Santam’s unlawful repudiation of a claim in direct violation of the Insurance Act. 

• SCCU (SAPS) – Examining allegations of fraud, malicious prosecution, and unlawful processing of special personal information. 

• Legal Practice Council (LPC) – Disciplinary proceedings already opened against SJA for contraventions of the Legal Practice Act Code of Conduct.

In his own words: “This isn’t just about my case — it’s about every South African who has been bullied, silenced, or defrauded by insurers hiding behind high-powered attorneys. This time, the tables are turning.”
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A Call for Other Victims
Professor Kidmann is also urging other Santam policyholders who may have been similarly treated to come forward. A dedicated whistle-blower address — saps@zynetix.com — has been set up to collect testimonies, with the promise of forwarding leads directly to investigators.
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The Stakes: 

Trust in South Africa’s Insurance System
This saga raises a chilling question: If the country’s largest short-term insurer and its attorneys can allegedly manipulate data, misuse the courts, and weaponise litigation, what protection remains for ordinary consumers?
Financial exclusion, reputational destruction, and unlawful intimidation are not abstract concepts. They represent real consequences borne by ordinary South Africans who trusted their insurer — only to be betrayed.
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The Final Word
As Dr Pretorius bluntly puts it:

“Santam and SJA are not just defending a claim. They are orchestrating a criminal enterprise to silence whistle-blowers, blacklist consumers, and protect their balance sheet at all costs. But I will not be silenced. This fight is bigger than me — it’s about every South African who has ever been bullied into submission by corporate thugs hiding behind the veneer of legal respectability.”

For Santam and Savage Jooste & Adams, the reckoning may just be beginning.