Self-proclaimed billionaire Dr Mandla Lamba’s electric-powered bikes are to be sold at an auction on Valentine’s Day after he failed to pay a former employee R750 000.
The items to be sold include four office chairs, reception desk, eight Grey mini CU bikes, red mini CU bike, white mini CU bike and two helmets.
The auction will be held at Lamba’s Fourways store, which was forced to shut down due to rent payment issues.
Unfair dismissal
Newspapers carried an advertisement this week about the impending auction. This was after Lamba failed to honour a court order granted in favour of his former employee. The matter is related to an unfair dismissal claim at his company.
Christa Brits, a former business development director at Lamba’s company Agilitee Africa, was awarded a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) award of R750, 000 after the court found that she was unfairly dismissed by the businessman.
Awarded the sum in March 2022
Sunday World previously reported that Brits had approached her lawyers from the social justice group Solidarity. This after Lamba failed to pay her the money after she received the award on March 1 2022.
Solidarity obtained a writ of execution on behalf of Brits to attach Agilitee Africa’s belongings from its Fourways branch. The items will be sold at an auction to recover Brits’ payout.
Solidarity informed the businessman in a letter in February last year that his property will be attached if he fails to pay the money owed to Brits.
The letter reads: “The arbitration award has subsequently been certified and is an order of court. Therefore, by not making the payment in accordance with same, you are in direct contravention of a court order.”
Ignored court order
Lamba did not respond to the lawyers’ letters and continued advertising his business on social media pages and various online platforms.
The letter reads further: “In various social media posts and articles online, it is confirmed that the company is operating. There was also an article in which it was confirmed that the directors are billionaires. In light of same, it is shocking that our member has not been paid in terms of a court order.”
Lamba did not pay Brits by the time payment was requested. The businessman continued with business as usual and has been travelling in Malawi to open more branches of his car franchise.
