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R300k paid but R55k still owing on R48k RDP house after 18 years

But bank agrees to write off remaining balance on home loan in the face of ombud probe and negative publicity

June 07, 2026 at 6:15 am

Gill Gifford

Senior journalist

Nick Harding and Arnold Sodinga are locked in a battle with Standard Bank over the R55 000 the banks says Sodinga still owes on his R48 000 RDP home loan. — Nick Harding and Arnold Sodinga are locked in a battle with Standard Bank over R55,000 the bank says Sodinga still owes on his R48,000 RDP home loan. (Supplied)

Labourer Arthur Sodinga bought a small RDP house in 2008 after securing a R48,000 home loan with Standard Bank. But despite repaying almost R300,000 in the past 18 years, as of this week he still owed the bank more than R55,000.

Standard Bank claimed this was due to multiple costs and penalties on the original home loan and that the ballooning costs had been “appropriate and fair”.

But late on Friday, faced with an inquiry by the National Financial Ombud Scheme (NFO) and a story about the debacle in the Sunday Times, the bank said it would write off the remaining balance on Sodinga’s loan.