A fleet of high-end sports cars and SUVs owned by Covid-19 tenderpreneur Hamilton Ndlovu brought in a combined R8.7 million at auction this week.
Ndlovu was accused of unlawfully securing tenders worth as much as R172 million through a network of shady businesses for the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He spent the dirty money on purchasing a collection of expensive vehicles for himself and his family, which were seized by the authorities after it came to light how Ndlovu was able to afford them.
The vehicles were initially scheduled to be auctioned on 5 July 2023 but due to the high-profile nature of the case, it was abruptly postponed by the curator on the eve of 4 July.
The event therefore took place earlier this week and brought in a record online attendance for Park Village Auctions which facilitated the sale on behalf of the South African Revenue Services (SARS), company director Clive Lazarus told Newzroom Afrika.
The hammer prices for Ndlovu’s vehicles were as follows:
- 2019 Lamborghini Urus – R4,345,000
- 2019 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet – R1,800,000
- 2019 Porsche Panamera GTS – R1,360,000
- 2020 Porsche Cayenne S – R1,230,000
The aggregate selling prices of these sports cars and SUVs amounted to R2 million more than what the state hoped to recover.
Hamilton Ndlovu’s Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
The downfall of Ndlovu
Ndlovu first caught the attention of the taxman after posting a 30-second clip to social media in 2021 showing off his luxurious new rides, which at the time were valued at R11 million altogether.
The video gained notoriety and eventually piqued the interest of SARS, which contracted the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to look into Ndlovu’s businesses and other dealings.
The SIU subsequently found that the suspect received 19 contracts through eight companies for the delivery of PPE in 2020, all awarded by the National Health Laboratory Service.
It also determined that Ndlovu pocketed roughly 90% of the value of these contracts, working out to a considerable sum of R158 million.
SARS in turn sought an order in the Pretoria High Court to cease the tenderpreneur’s assets which included the fleet of sports cars and a luxury home in Bryanston, Johannesburg, as well as freeze bank accounts worth a combined R42 million all linked to Ndlovu’s businesses.
The SIU Special Tribunal also set aside and declared the PPE contracts invalid.
To date, the state has recovered approximately R57 million of the missing R172 million.
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