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SARS targets Hamilton Ndlovu's Porsches, freezes bank accounts

SARS targets Hamilton Ndlovu's Porsches, freezes bank accounts
Hamilton Ndlovu has previously been linked to suspicious Covid PPE contracts. (Photo: Twitter)
Greg Nicolson
By Greg Nicolson
22 Sep 2020
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In May, businessman Hamilton Ndlovu boasted about buying five luxury vehicles worth an estimated R11-million. Now SARS has frozen his personal and company bank accounts and seized three of his Porsches.

The SA Revenue Service has executed a provisional preservation order against businessman Hamilton Ndlovu and his companies, seizing three of his Porsches and freezing over R6-million in his bank accounts.

Daily Maverick understands that SARS conducted a search and seizure operation at Hamilton's residence on 11 September 2020, a day after the North Gauteng High Court issued the provisional preservation order, which Daily Maverick has seen, and placed his assets under the curatorship of Zaheer Cassim of Cassim Incorporated.

The preservation order allows the curator to immediately take control of Ndlovu's assets and preserve them to pay potential tax debts.

The order cites Ndlovu and five companies – Hamiltonn Holdings, Hamilton Projects, Mok Plus One, Abompetha, and Feliham – as respondents.

Among the known assets listed are a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabrio, a Porsche Cayenne S Coupe and a Porsche Panamera GTS Sport, all of which have ownership dates in June 2020.

SARS has also frozen over R6-million in the companies' bank accounts. 

Daily Maverick understands that SARS, which would not comment on the preservation order as it is prohibited from disclosing taxpayers' information, is still identifying further assets owned by Ndlovu.

Ndlovu made headlines in May after posting a video boasting about buying five vehicles for him and his family members. They included three Porsches, a Lamborghini Urus and a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which cost an estimated R11-million.

A statement released on Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu's twitter account. (Source: Twitter/@hamiltonndlovu_)



He later issued a statement apologising, saying, “I realised that the video was in poor taste and appeared at a very unfortunate time in our country as we are battling with an invisible enemy in Covid-19 which has once more exposed huge challenges faced by my community and many other townships in our country.”

Hamilton is the founder and CEO of Hamiltonn Holdings, based in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg. Its website describes the company as “providing end-to-end commercial and engineering services”.

According to City Press, the Hawks started investigating the businessman after he posted the video of his new vehicles on social media. The publication claims the Hawks are investigating allegations that Ndlovu benefited from an Eastern Cape PPE contract.

“He's been under investigation since he posted the video. It's just a matter of time before we pounce on him. We're also in talks with the Special Investigating Unit about seizing what we deem to be proceeds of crime. He's one of the people thought to have benefited from irregular contracts that are being investigated by the Hawks,” a source in the security cluster told City Press.

Asked whether the SIU was investigating Ndlovu, spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago only responded, “The SIU is authorised by proclamation R23 of 2020 to investigate all PPE procurement irregularities.”

Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu. (Photo: Twitter)



City Press reported that the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office is in the process of deregistering Hamiltonn Holdings for failing to submit its tax returns.

In June, Gauteng premier David Makhura dismissed allegations that emerged on social media claiming he had helped Ndlovu win PPE contracts with the provincial government. None of the companies listed in the preservation order obtained by SARS features as a service provider in Gauteng's Covid-19 Expenditure Disclosure Report.

Makhura described the allegations as a “Bell Pottinger-type of smear campaign” against him and the provincial government. 

Ndlovu had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing. DM

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