TSHENOLO Leola, 29, a BTech graduate in cost and management accounting had big dreams to become an entrepreneur.
Leola, of Hammanskraal in northern Gauteng, said he received four years of training with Fortune CP in the UK. The company runs solar projects in Africa, including South Africa.
He said he then saw an opportunity to start his own solar panel company to help curb the energy crisis here at home.
With the assistance of Fortune CP he registered his company, secured funding and established his office in Randburg.
"I finally registered my company last September and was ready to fly," he said.
Leola said he later won a tender to supply 203 panels to the Malawian government. But his dream almost fizzled out when Jason Sole of GW Store - who claims to be a manufacturer of solar equipment - failed to deliver his solar panels.
He could not deliver the panels on the agreed date, because Sole failed to deliver his solar panels, and the Malawian government withdrew the tender they had awarded him.
Leola said he paid the R160000 for the solar panels.
The intervention of his overseas partners and his lawyer did not bear fruit as he never received the panels or the refund .
Leola said he was surfing through the internet when he came across GW Store, which operates from Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek, in Cape Town.
He later called and entered into a contract with them in June this year. He was required to pay a 10% deposit to allow them to start working on his order.
"I paid R60000 [for the deposit] as agreed and two weeks later Sole confirmed that my stock was ready and needed an additional R500000 so he could dispatch it," he said.
He obliged and transferred the required amount.
There was a balance of R75 000 which they both agreed would be paid once Leola had conducted a quality inspection on the solar panels.
Sole did not keep his promise, but sent him on a wild goose chase, Leola said.
"He sent me to collect goods at their City Deep warehouse when he knew there was nothing for me to collect there," Leola said.
Leola said the warehouse belongs to a Solaire Direct Technologies and its owner told him he had stopped doing business with Sole, because of similar complaints against him.
"On further inquiry Reuben Naidoo of Solaire Direct told me Sole only requested a quotation and a sample unit with my company's brand name from them," he said.
Sole subsequently sent him the same sample pretending he had already manufactured his order.
"Clearly, Sole did not place my order and had no intention to deliver it," Leola said.
Leola later cancelled his order and demanded his money back but was only repaid R16000 after he threatened to expose his shenanigans in the media.
Sole denies he was trying to defraud Leola.
"We never defrauded Tshenolo. He never completed the payment on the invoice and we both cancelled the order," Sole said.
He admitted that he only refunded R16000, but offered to pay the balance before the end of this week.
Sole also tried to stop the publication of Leola's story.
"Publication of this would jeopardise our ability to repay him, we are very close to signing off some large deals and cannot afford the negative attention," Sole said.
He said they had never failed to settle their debts with any supplier and "we don't intend to start now".
"Sometimes business flows slow. People don't pay us, we don't pay someone else.
"It's like a sick chain, but always, it eventually gets resolved," Sole said.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Solar panel plan dimmed - Leola wants his money back
TSHENOLO Leola, 29, a BTech graduate in cost and management accounting had big dreams to become an entrepreneur.
Leola, of Hammanskraal in northern Gauteng, said he received four years of training with Fortune CP in the UK. The company runs solar projects in Africa, including South Africa.
He said he then saw an opportunity to start his own solar panel company to help curb the energy crisis here at home.
With the assistance of Fortune CP he registered his company, secured funding and established his office in Randburg.
"I finally registered my company last September and was ready to fly," he said.
Leola said he later won a tender to supply 203 panels to the Malawian government. But his dream almost fizzled out when Jason Sole of GW Store - who claims to be a manufacturer of solar equipment - failed to deliver his solar panels.
He could not deliver the panels on the agreed date, because Sole failed to deliver his solar panels, and the Malawian government withdrew the tender they had awarded him.
Leola said he paid the R160000 for the solar panels.
The intervention of his overseas partners and his lawyer did not bear fruit as he never received the panels or the refund .
Leola said he was surfing through the internet when he came across GW Store, which operates from Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek, in Cape Town.
He later called and entered into a contract with them in June this year. He was required to pay a 10% deposit to allow them to start working on his order.
"I paid R60000 [for the deposit] as agreed and two weeks later Sole confirmed that my stock was ready and needed an additional R500000 so he could dispatch it," he said.
He obliged and transferred the required amount.
There was a balance of R75 000 which they both agreed would be paid once Leola had conducted a quality inspection on the solar panels.
Sole did not keep his promise, but sent him on a wild goose chase, Leola said.
"He sent me to collect goods at their City Deep warehouse when he knew there was nothing for me to collect there," Leola said.
Leola said the warehouse belongs to a Solaire Direct Technologies and its owner told him he had stopped doing business with Sole, because of similar complaints against him.
"On further inquiry Reuben Naidoo of Solaire Direct told me Sole only requested a quotation and a sample unit with my company's brand name from them," he said.
Sole subsequently sent him the same sample pretending he had already manufactured his order.
"Clearly, Sole did not place my order and had no intention to deliver it," Leola said.
Leola later cancelled his order and demanded his money back but was only repaid R16000 after he threatened to expose his shenanigans in the media.
Sole denies he was trying to defraud Leola.
"We never defrauded Tshenolo. He never completed the payment on the invoice and we both cancelled the order," Sole said.
He admitted that he only refunded R16000, but offered to pay the balance before the end of this week.
Sole also tried to stop the publication of Leola's story.
"Publication of this would jeopardise our ability to repay him, we are very close to signing off some large deals and cannot afford the negative attention," Sole said.
He said they had never failed to settle their debts with any supplier and "we don't intend to start now".
"Sometimes business flows slow. People don't pay us, we don't pay someone else.
"It's like a sick chain, but always, it eventually gets resolved," Sole said.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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