DURBAN — This time next week Edward Zuma, the son of South African President Jacob Zuma, will lose his BMW X5 and household goods of any value when they are put on auction and sold off to pay off a debt of more than R1 million he incurred for his flash wedding more than a year ago.
His financial woes will not end there. Lawyer David Vlcek confirmed on Tuesday that his client, Functions for Africa, had instructed him to prepare a High Court application for Zuma’s sequestration as it was unlikely that the proceeds of the auction would be enough to settle the debt.
“We are in the information-gathering stage,” he said. “Once we have everything in place, we will be lodging our application with the court.”
The Mercury first reported on the issue in May when Functions for Africa sought and obtained judgment against Zuma for R1,5 million, plus interest, it was owed for the wedding reception for 500 guests at Tala Game Reserve.
Zuma did not oppose the application. Paul Mann, owner of Functions for Africa, said Zuma had paid only R1m in a deposit for the R2,5m wedding and he had gone ahead with it because of his and his bride Phumelele Shange’s “incessant pleading” not to cancel it, as it would embarrass them. He said Zuma had promised he was getting foreign funding – and put up a letter from a company Deebo Holdings in which it said R28,8m was owed to him – but after the wedding Zuma stopped taking his calls.
The auction, set for next Wednesday, November 7, was advertised last week. It lists the items to be sold as including a 2007 black BMW X5 and household goods, including a fridge/freezer, leather lounge suite, LCD television and even some camping chairs. — The Mercury
