******* withholding of deposit

I book the https://www.boathouse.co.za/ from 27-29 November 2020. I booked for a group of 12. So some were booked in 7 rooms at the hotel and the other 5 in the penthouse. the penthouse required that i pay a deposit of R5000 which i paid. When we checked out the manager Nathi was there all seemed well. I sent through my banking details where they are suppose to deposit the refund. Two weeks later I called the reception to inquire about my deposit and Sne told me they will process it. Three weeks later I spoke to Nathi and he now tells me there was damage to one of the carpets in the hotel rooms and he will send me an email in 2 days detailing the damage but he never sent the email and the deposit was not refunded. where have you heard a hotel holding a deposit? I called him after a week and he told me he was not at work but he will attend to it. On 29 December 2020 a lady manager called me to say they will not refund me because the penthouse has damages and they have pictures. I told her they are coming with nonsense now because they have never told me about these suppose damages for four weeks and now they coming with stories just to avoid paying me back. This is a **** to claim there are damages four weeks after i was there and its day light *******. I want my deposit back. The supposed pictures were never sent.