Tony Yengeni has a taste for the good life. And when he cannot afford it, he is not shy to ask for a discount.

This week, resplendent in a lime silk suit, the ANC MP and former party chief whip has asked the Pretoria commercial crimes court to hand down a R1 000 fine after being convicted of defrauding parliament.

Fashion experts say Yengeni is South Africa's minister of fashion. Those in the know said the suit he wore that day cost between R15 000 and R20 000, and his tie cost between R1 000 and R3 000.

According to a salesman at an exclusive men's store in Sandton City, after Yengeni's first court appearance, at least six people came to his store looking for a tie similar to Yengeni's. The 100 person Chinese silk tie costs R800.

'I don't know if I am a trendsetter and don't think so'

Yengeni declined to speak about matters related to his court appearance, but was willing to talk about his sense of fashion.

He downplayed his growing reputation as a trendsetter. "My philosophy about clothing is that I wear that which is comfortable and looks good on me. I don't know if I am a trendsetter and don't think so. I do not go about trying to set trends."

Yengeni, a former political prisoner, said he was not a "prisoner" of clothing labels. It did not matter to him where the clothing label was from. "I go for what's good to the eye and the body, finish and klaar. I am not into labels or personalities."

But he cannot always afford the standard he sets himself.

He may have saved a bundle buying the car, but the aftermath of the discounted car has proved more expensive, costing nearly R1-million.

For starters, as his lawyer Viwe Notshe remarked "The benefits he received have been eroded."

Notshe made the remark when asking the court for the man sometimes referred to as the Gucci Socialist to be handed a R1 000 fine.

Yengeni had paid R182 563 for the Mercedes Benz ML 320, saving a massive 47 percent or R167 387 on the vehicle. But that was the beginning of a long list of unforeseen expenses.

After the Sunday Times reported that Yengeni had wrongfully and illegally benefited from the sale of the 4x4, Yengeni started a lengthy, expensive and ultimately futile process of vindicating himself.

An advertisement he placed in several Sunday newspapers cost the Ayanda Mbanga Communications agency R283 000. When Yengeni's lawyers did not pay within seven days of publication as promised, Mbanga served them with court papers.

Yengeni's former lawyers Chuene Kwinana Motsatse later served the forestry company Zama Resources with papers for R311 000 for services rendered. The leaked invoice unmasked the identity of the mysterious funder of Yengeni's legal fees.

According to newspaper reports, Yengeni's lawyers, Chuene Kwinana Motsatse, quit because he still owed them R800 000.

With acknowledgements to Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya and The Mercury.