Popular TV presenter Ayanda Thabethe’s boyfriend Peter Matsimbe is facing allegations of fraud involving 10 luxury cars that went missing in his care.
The case of fraud is currently under investigation at the Sandton Police Station, after Matsimbe’s brother Richard was embroiled in a similar scam in which he named two luxury vehicles as security to obtain a loan of R22 million from businessperson Jacobus Jansen.
Jansen also approached the Johannesburg High Court to obtain a court order against Richard after giving him the staggering loan in September and being given the keys to two luxury vehicles – a Lamborghini Huracan and a Porsche Cayenne – as security for repayment.
Jansen approached the court last year when the younger Matsimbe’s company, the Matsimbe Group, failed to repay the debt.
The court papers read: “The respondents [Matsimbe Group] acknowledge their indebtedness to the applicant [Jansen] in the sum of R22 000 000 … [The agreement stated] that the said amount would be paid on October 15 2021 into the applicant’s nominated bank account … As security for the indebtedness, the respondents provided two motor vehicles, being a Lamborghini Huracan and a Porsche Cayenne Diesel.
This revelation comes a week after speculation that the media personality-turned-make-up brand co-owner was pregnant with her second child by Matsimbe, who is also believed to be married to another woman.
According to City Press, in the past four years, Matsimbe has been in and out of the Johannesburg High Court and was served with a warrant of arrest after failing to return 10 luxury cars belonging to Standard Bank.
Court documents that were filed by the bank on August 2019, Matsimbe – through his company Matsimbe and Co – managed to purchase luxury vehicles from various dealerships through finance from the bank using documents that were found to be fake.
The cars included a Mclaren MP4 coupé, a BMW X5 SUV, a Can-Am Maverick, an Audi Q3, a Nissan Navara, a Toyota Hilux, a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Lexus SUV, a Volvo mechanical horse and a Lexus LX.
After the bank was granted a judgment to have him return the cars to it in 2019, Matsimbe ignored the court order.
Standard Bank then returned to the court to acquire a warrant of committal for contempt of court against Matsimbe, which authorised his arrest for failing to abide by the previous judgment.
The order read:
It appears to the record that this court on July 22 2020 granted a decree committing Peter Matsimbe for contempt of court for failing to comply with the aforesaid order of court by failing to deliver the said assets to the applicant.
“The Sheriff [of the Court] of the area within which Peter Matsimbe may be found is hereby authorised and instructed to take him and deliver him to the keeper of the prison of the district in which he may be found.”
Even though the order required that Matsimbe be arrested for a period of 30 days, it is understood that not all the luxury cars have been returned to the bank.
In an email sent by its representative to investigating officers working on the case, the bank indicated that it had only managed to recover two cars and was struggling to find any other vehicle which was still in Matsimbe’s possession.
The email – to which a copy of the first court order was attached – read: “The Mclaren and the Volvo truck have been found. The rest of the vehicles vanished. Should you find any of these cars, please contact us. If possible, please flag these vehicles at the border. We suspect they are coming in and out of Mozambique. There is a warrant from the high court, as you can see.”
City Press has also learnt that a case of fraud is currently under investigation at the Sandton Police Station, after Matsimbe’s brother Richard was embroiled in a similar scam in which he named two luxury vehicles as security to obtain a loan of R22 million from businessperson Jacobus Jansen.
Jansen also approached the Johannesburg High Court to obtain a court order against Richard after giving him the staggering loan in September and being given the keys to two luxury vehicles – a Lamborghini Huracan and a Porsche Cayenne – as security for repayment.
Jansen approached the court last year when the younger Matsimbe’s company, the Matsimbe Group, failed to repay the debt.
The court papers read: “The respondents [Matsimbe Group] acknowledge their indebtedness to the applicant [Jansen] in the sum of R22 000 000 … [The agreement stated] that the said amount would be paid on October 15 2021 into the applicant’s nominated bank account … As security for the indebtedness, the respondents provided two motor vehicles, being a Lamborghini Huracan and a Porsche Cayenne Diesel.
“It was agreed that, in the event of nonpayment, the applicant would be entitled to attach the two motor vehicles, which would be sold by the applicant to liquidate the debt …
“The respondents agreed to place the applicant in possession of the spare keys to the vehicles, as well as change of ownership documents.”
However, the application by Jansen was joined by Nedbank, which claimed to be the owner of the Porsche Cheyenne. It also emerged that neither of the cars in Richard’s possession belonged to him.
The court document read: “In breach of the agreement, the respondents not only failed to pay the amount owing, but also did not tell the applicant that the Lamborghini Huracan was owned by a company, Mogale Operation.”
In his response in court, Richard did not deny that he owed Jansen the R22 million, but disputed having offered the luxury cars to him as security for the loan.
The court granted Jansen an order to freeze Richard’s assets and those of his company. Two other luxury cars – a Ferrari 812 and a BMW – were initially also ordered to be frozen as part of Richard’s assets, but it transpired that they, too, belonged to Mogale Operation.
The Matsimbe brothers first became known to the public last year after it was reported that Thabethe, the presenter of Celebrity Game Night, had given birth to Peter’s child.
After being spotted on vacation in Dubai with him in June, Thabethe came under fire, as it emerged that she was dating a married man whose wedding ring was visible in their holiday pictures.
Thabethe subsequently released a statement through her law firm, Makuta Attorneys, disputing that Peter was married.
The statement read: “We make this statement on behalf of Ayanda Thabethe, who is supported by her partner, referred to as ‘PM’.
“The rumour that Thabethe is in a relationship with a married man is not true and we have not been provided with evidence proving otherwise. PM is not in any marriage or union recognised by the law.”
By the time of going to print, Thabethe and Peter had not responded to a request for a comment sent via their law firm. A similar request sent to Richard – for whom a warrant of arrest has also been issued – but he did not respond either.
– Citypress
