Son loses out on inheritance because he smokes

The son of a Pretoria businessman was left out of his father's will because he refused to quit smoking.

Dawid van Vuuren's smoking sons, Daniel and Marius were disinherited, and everything was bequeathed to his two daughters.

Marius contested the handwritten will which was only found after his father's death, in the High Court in Pretoria.

He said he regarded the paper simply as a threat to Daniel.

Marius said that before their father had died, Daniel had told him that their father had drafted the "will" in which he declared his daughters the only beneficiaries in an attempt to make him stop smoking.

But Daniel said he had only become aware of the "will" after his father's death, the daily reported.

"The truth is my father did admonish me on many occasions that he would disinherit me if I did not stop smoking. I never took his threat seriously," Daniel reportedly said.

Judge Cynthia Pretorius said no other testament could be found except for the handwritten will.

She reportedly ordered the Master of the court to accept the paper as being the true will.