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Pirates player Patrick Phungwayo in bitter war with Alexandra car mechanic over unpaid bill

Orlando Pirates defender Patrick Phungwayo
Orlando Pirates defender Patrick Phungwayo

Orlando Pirates player Patrick Phungwayo is embroiled in a bitter war with an Alexandra mechanic over an unpaid R2 941 bill.

Petrus Nemamila, 51, has dragged the star to the Small Claims Court for the money which he says has been due since February when he finished repairing the Golf 3 which he says belongs to Phungwayo.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, the mechanic said he was called in by the star's secretary only known as Mpho to collect the car at his Lombardy East home and fix it.

"I finished everything on the car and went to his house a couple of times to ask for my money. He did not want to come out of the house but instead spoke to me via an intercom and told me he does not know me before hanging up on me," Nemamila fumed.

Nemamila said he fixed thermostat housing, three water pipes and a gear select shaft among other things.

He was granted a letter of demand, which Sowetan has seen, by the Small Claims Court sitting at the Hillbrow Magistrates court on Friday.

He says he was accompanied by police officers from Sandringham yesterday to give the Buccaneers player the letter at his home but he was nowhere to be found.

"I tried contacting him a couple of times to no avail before deciding to take further steps by going to the court.”

"I keep asking myself that if he acts so big and famous why can’t he take his car to a garage and not to a small mechanic like me because he does not like paying. Now what I am getting is that he is rude and threatens people who come to collect their money," he added.

When contacted by Sowetan yesterday, Phungwayo who was travelling from Cape Town said the car did not belong to him but his brother.

"I don’t have such a car. Does he even know me? That person came into my house with the guy that works for me (Mpho) in my house. I don’t understand why he is dragging me into this because he said he will take Mpho to court," he said.

"Basically I can't pay for what I don’t know. Mpho works for me and he is the one who was dealing with this mechanic. The car belongs to my brother so why are they involving me because they say he collected the car at my house so now I am liable for payment," he said.

Phungwayo said if the mechanic has a case he should proceed to take him to court.

Mpho said he will pay the mechanic his money from his own pocket.

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