Iconic radio presenter Nonn Botha has taken a loan from a loan shark and failed to pay it. Now the mashonisa has confiscated the furniture of her friend who acted as surety and middle person.
Botha’s friend, Nicky Goliath, has even approached Radio 702 mandarins, where Botha works, and asked them to intervene. However, they told her they did not want to be involved and advised her to seek legal recourse.
The embarrassing news was revealed by Goliath, who did not approve of Botha’s tardiness.
Speaking to Sunday World, Goliath said Botha, who presents a weekend afternoon music show at 702, approached her several years ago and begged her to loan money from a mashonisa in Spruitview, Ekurhuleni, on her behalf. Botha promised to pay it back with interest.
Goliath said she went to the loan shark, who indicated that she would only loan Botha the money on condition that Goliath becomes surety as she did not want to do business with strangers.
“From there Botha would send me to borrow between R1 000 and R1 500 and repaid it without hassles,” Goliath said.
She said a few months ago, Botha, who also presented shows at Kaya FM and Lesedi FM in the past, asked her to obtain a total of R5 000 on her behalf from the loan shark.
Botha, Goliath said, promised to pay it back timeously, with the interest, on September 26 when she gets paid.
Goliath said Botha later phoned her and said she was struggling to keep the wolf from the door and asked her to borrow an additional R3 000 on her behalf and promised to pay it back with its separate interest.
But came month end, Botha failed to pay the money and this resulted in the mashonisa confiscating Goliath’s music amplifier and a fridge.
“At first the loan shark wanted to take my television set but I begged her not to do so and promised to get Nonn to pay back the money together with interest as soon as possible. The loan shark ended up taking my fridge and music amplifier instead.”
Goliath said afterwards she sent Botha a message notifying her about the incident but she did not respond.
She said Botha finally responded on October 15 and said she got a show in Tembisa and would pay back the loan after receiving her appearance fee.
However, the following day, said Goliath, Botha Mantashed, and said she would instead pay her landlord, who threatened to kick her out of her apartment if she did not pay rent.
“She even sent me a picture of an empty fridge, pleading with me to help with money to buy food for her children. I then gave her R300 but told her that she needed to find the loan shark’s money,” she said.
Goliath said after giving her the money, Botha blocked her on her cellphone.
“The loan shark came to my house and this time around, took my TV because of Nonn,” said Goliath fighting back tears.
Goliath said she took her last money and paid the loan shark to free her TV.
But now she was struggling to raise money to release her fridge and amplifier taken by the loan shark.
“I can’t believe that I have taken the money I work so hard for to pay this loan for Nonn,” she said bursting into tears.
Contacted for comment, Botha said Goliath should have come to where she lives and collected the money instead of running to the media. “I’m disappointed in her, I thought we were friends.”
