Publication: Cape Argus
Issued:
Date: 2007-01-21
Reporter: Chiara Carter
|
The Fast and The Fabulous |
It
was a discount on a flashy 4x4 that got Tony Yengeni into hot water but, despite
being forced from public office and ending up serving time in prison, expensive
cars clearly remain close to the heart of the ANC former chief whip.
His
release from jail earlier this week saw a bevy of black luxury vehicles arrive
at Malmesbury Prison so that rather than a short walk to freedom, Yengeni was
able to drive away in luxury.
The cars included a BMW Z4 and two
top-of-the-range VW Golfs. Also there to meet him was Yengeni's own Range Rover Sport, which costs around R675
000, excluding the add-ons like the shiny mag wheels which his car
boasts.
And at Yengeni's parents' house in NY1 in Gugulethu, neighbours
were agog at the smart cars that came and went all week long - including that of
Lunga Ncwana, the ANC Youth
Leaguer-turned-businessman who previously made news zooming around town
in some of the smartest cars from the extensive garage of his business mentor,
controversial mining magnate Brett Kebble.
But it was the car belonging
to Yengeni's wife, Lumka, that earned the most gasps. It is
a brand new black Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 (starting price of R579 000 before
extras). The up-to-date vehicle is as smooth as the large wraparound dark
shades its owner sports and is classified as a coupe because of its sleek, low
roofline.
The car includes 21st century hi-tech features such as
DVD-guided satellite navigation and following-distance cruise
control.
Ironically, Yengeni's woes began back in the late 1990s over a
love for Mercs. Investigators looking into allegations of corruption in the
country's multi-billion rand arms deal turned their attentions to the
circumstances in which Yengeni, who at one stage headed the
joint standing committee on defence at Parliament, received a massive discount on a Mercedes 4x4.
At the time,
they also asked questions about a silver Mercedes-Benz acquired for Mrs Yengeni,
also via the offices of the arms contract bidder EADS.
Then there was a
flurry about a R400 000 red Mercedes convertible reportedly earmarked by EADS
for Yengeni, but instead delivered to a close friend of his, Wivine Ndlandu
Kavidi, the wife of a former Zairean prime minister.
Yengeni was but one of more than 30 government bigwigs whom EADS
helped acquire luxury cars *1.
With acknowledgements to Chiara Carter and Cape Argus.
*1 The following are recipients of
EADS's Micky Woerfel's generosity :
[Note : Woerfel is listed for four
vehicles and Debis Fleet for another. As Ron Haywood, Schabir Shaik and Jacob
Zuma also got discounted cars, and Yengeni got three, these might fall under
Woerfel's and Debis's names.]
Vehicles Date
Client EADS Purchase Price Retail Price EADS Sales
Price Percent Discount
MB E 320
AMG 1998-10-08 Nyanda R291 310,25 R392 310,25 R324 580,20 17,26%
MB ML 320 1998-10-25 Yengeni
R307 458,63 R349 950,00 R182 563,63 47,83%
Colt Rodeo 3.0 1998-12-21 Msomi R125 892,11 N/A
R102 365,00 N/A
MB E 320 1998-12-15 Msomi R250 800,00 N/A R195 885,00 N/A
Chrysler Voyager 1999-05-15 Sexwale R247 088,16 R282 548,00 R248
001,30 12,23%
MB ML 320 1999-06-23 Swan R335 654,82 R359
950,00 R250 002,00 30,50%
MB C 250 TD 1999-07-07 Pillay R174 650,00 R198 650,00 R141 000,90
29,02%
MB E 430 AMG
2000-02-11 debisFleet R374 453,82 N/A R375 000,00 N/A
MB ML320
2000-03-31 Kunene R303 072,01 N/A R255 000,98 N/A
Honda Ballade 180
2000-08-01 Muhle R89 403,37 N/A R96 000,00 N/A
Colt 2.0 STD 2000-08-07
EADS/Kunene R74 715,00 R90 600,00 R80 000,00 11,70%
MB ML 270 CDI 2000-08-10
Ncumani R284 231,04 R350 000,00 R301 530,00 13,85%
MB C 240A 2000-09-21
Erasmus R133 582,92 N/A R156 579,00 N/A
MB ML 430 2000-10-12 Kunene R346
203,18 N/A R335 000,00 N/A
MB E 320 AMG 2000-02-?
Woerfel R275 414,52 N/A R230 000,00 N/A
MB ML 320 2000-10-12 Woerfel R311
126,48 N/A R255 000,90 N/A
MB C 180 A 2000-11-01 Woerfel R113 223,89 N/A
R165 000,00 N/A
MB S320A 2000-11-21 Woerfel R253 374,19 N/A R375 000,00 N/A
Honda Ballade 150 2000-11-27 Ngema R65 000,00 N/A
R70 000,00 N/A
MB C 180A 2000-12-18 Yengeni R174
845,01 R194 250,00 R185 000,00 4,76%
MB S 320 A
2001-01-18 Nyanda R404 006,63 R494 750,00 R420 000,00 15,11%
MB E320 AMG 2001-01-29 McCarty R220 700,80 N/A
R234 000,00 N/A
MB C 180 M 2001-01-05 Tulwana R152 325,00 R169 250,00 R161
250,00 4,73%
MB ML 270 CDI 2001-01-26 Foster R296 460,00 R360 000,00 R305
000,00 15,28%
MB SLK 230 A 2001-01-29 Kavidi R325 282,50 R395 000,00 R370
000,00 6,33%
MB CL 500 A 2001-02-15 Young R634 095,01 R770 000,00 R680
000,00 11,69 %
MBE240 A 2001-02-15 Beukes R237 991,50
R289 000,00 R267 000,00 7,61%
MB C 200 KA 2001-02-15 Smit R183 064,05
R230 855,00 R194 070,00 15,93%
MB C 180 A 2001-02-15 Verwey R153 788,62 R186
750,00 R167 000,00 10,58%
MB C 270 CDI A 2001-02-28 Pretorius R191 463,75
R232 500,00 R209 250,00 10,00%
MB C 240 A 2001-03-29
Beukes R195 828,30 R237 800,00 R222 000,00 6,64%
MB C 240 A
2001-03-29 Nqose R195 828,30 R237 800,00 R230 000,00 3,28%
MB S 500 A
2001-03-29 Macquebela R542 604,16 R676 000,00 R590 000,00 12,72%
Note : The Young is not Richard Young.