Orlando Pirates soccer star in car drama

ORLANDO Pirates and former Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Sangweni's name has been linked to a financial drama over a luxurious set of wheels.

Sowetan understands the 33-year-old is in arrears of over R415000 for a 2012 model Range Rover.

The exact number of months owed cannot be ascertained because of compound interest on the arrears. The monthly instalment for the car was over R16000.

On Wednesday, Sangweni confirmed that the car in question was financed by Wesbank.

The defence strongman, however, said the car was not in his possession. He said: "I do not owe money for a Range Rover, I traded it in and took a BMW 3 series. That car has long been gone, I exchanged it two years ago."

In 2013, he was involved in a car accident where he came out unharmed, but the white BMW 3 series was written off.

Sangweni said it was a mistake and he would have to investigate why his name had the staggering debt attached to it.

"I have to investigate that because, as far as I know, I traded it in. There must be something wrong somewhere. I will have to go to FNB and see what could have gone wrong. Maybe they did not remove it [my name]," he said.

"You are welcome to call me again tomorrow [yesterday] after I have gone to check with them," he offered, but he could not be reached yesterday.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity maintained that he still had the Range Rover. "I know about that. The car is still with him but the repo-man is eyeing it."

The eldest of the three professional soccer playing Sangweni brothers, he is believed to earn more than R100000 a month.

He made headlines two years ago when it was revealed that he owned 34 cattle and 56 goats in his native Dondotha village in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal.

He first collected the cattle when he joined his former club Lamontville Golden Arrows, where his star began to rise.

It was also reported that he had investments in retail.

Police sources who traced the ownership of the Range Rover through the registration number said Wesbank was the registered owner.

Wesbank spokesman Rudolf Mahoney said it would be illegal for him to talk about a client's private information without his or her authorisation.

mashotol@sowetan.co.za

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