A disgruntled Eastern Cape entrepreneur has set her lawyer on a “dubious” car dealership in Tshwane for failing to deliver her R350,000 bakkie two months after she bought it cash.

As result, Lulama Metuse’s tent and toilet hiring business in King Williamstown has gone to a halt while her bank account has bled out two instalments for a vehicle she doesn’t own.

Metuse, 42, is a government employee who started a side business of buying and hiring out tents and mobile toilets for events and functions two years ago in order to sustain her family. However, not having a bakkie to transport her equipment meant that she had to hire other people to deliver it to her clients, which often cost a lot of money.

“Then some time ago I decided to save some money to buy a bakkie. I saved R250,000 and topped it with a R150,000 bank loan. I wanted to buy it cash so that the car can be in my name immediately. I knew I wanted a Toyota Hilux diesel because I was told its fuel efficient and durable for the kind of work I wanted to use it for,” said Metuse.

She said she couldn’t find the vehicle at her local car dealerships and then she asked her friends in Tshwane to assist her. Their search sent them to MDCA Consulting at Bobby’s Place20, Forest Avenue in Equestria where they found the bakkie.

On April 1, Metuse travelled from the Eastern Cape to Pretoria to examine and buy the vehicle.

“I saw the white vehicle and I paid R352,000 but I could not take it immediately as the sales lady told me it uses petrol instead of diesel. The owner, Martin Roux, promised to give me the diesel bakkie within two weeks. Weeks went by with no car being delivered and I eventually cancelled that deal and requested my money back. Since then Roux has been sending me from pillar to post and making all kinds of promises to deposit the refund into my account,” said Metuse.

Sowetan Consumer has seen an affidavit that Metuse disposed with the police on May 3 in which she cancels that deal with Roux’s shop, citing failure for the dealership to deliver. She also approached her lawyers to start the process of preparing a letter of demand against Roux. A legal counsellor has since been appointed by Scorpion Legal Protection to pursue the matter.

Sowetan Consumer has made several attempts to get comment from Roux.

We first contacted him on May 19 (Thursday) to which he asked for an extension to Monday, May 23 to allow for the funds to reflect in Metuse’s bank account. However, by Tuesday (May 24) the money had not been paid.

Sowetan Consumer sent him a reminder to which he sought another extension. “All I ask you to keep everything till Thursday morning (30 May). I give you my word everything will be sorted,” he replied.

On May 27, Roux responded: “Sorry about everything. Can I provide proof on Monday because I was in hospital again because of the stroke? You were very nice with me and I will keep my word to you please.”

Roux had not paid back the money by the time of going to press yesterday.

Metuse said she has run out of patience with Roux. “My business has suffered. I’ve already paid about R12,000 in loan repayments in April and May for a car I don’t have. My life is at a standstill at the moment because of this dubious dealership,” said Metuse.