Mapisa-Nqakula’s Mercedes-Benz sedan auctioned for R10

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s Mercedes-Benz sedan was reportedly auctioned for R10 in King William’s Town on Thursday.

This after the minister allegedly failed to settle a R50 000 debt to a garage in the town which worked on her faulty engine and gearbox last year, The Sowetan has reported.

The garage known as King William’s Town Motor Engineering – that Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly owed money to – bought the 1998 C180 Benz which was used by her father, Douglas Mapisa, after no buyers were available in the morning on Thursday.

The garage’s lawyer Peter Monaghan confirmed the sale to the publication, saying: “Because no one showed interest or turned up for the scheduled auction , the vehicle was then sold to the plaintiff for R10. This then means that the plaintiff now fully owns the car and can now sell the vehicle to anyone, at a price they deem fit, in order to recoup the costs of repairs.”

The company had approached the court earlier this year over failure by the minister or her 96-year-old father to settle a bill that stood at R50 563 by July 26, 2016, plus interest for the repairs done in April 2016.

The minister reportedly refused to settle the debt, saying she was never consulted before the repairs were done on the car that is registered under her name, but has been used by her father.

After defaulting for 78 days, Monaghan told the publication that they gave Mapisa-Nqakula seven days to pay for the repairs or face her vehicle being auctioned.

At the time, Mapisa-Nqakula’s departmental spokesperson Joy Peter told The Dispatch that Mapisa-Nqakula refused to pay the bill as the mechanics had fixed the car without her consent.

She accused them of acting in an “unacceptable” manner by not consulting her before conducting the repairs, adding that the minister would not pay the money “as a matter of principle”.

“The minister has always been clear that they can sell it if they want to.

“Their behaviour was questionable and she is not moved by the fact that they say they will sell it,” Peter was quoted by the publication as saying.