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MBABANE – A businesswoman has taken her financial advisor to court for allegedly stealing a truck and other items belonging to her company.

As a result, the company, Bririma Investments (Pty) Ltd, has taken the Director’s Financial Advisor, Maureen Nozipho Nkambule, to the High Court where it is seeking an order directing her to return the Toyota truck registered WSD 866 BM. The company also applied that Nkambule return its tools; four stepladders, two fibre stepladders and two aluminium stepladders.

The Director of the company, Futhi Dlamini, said Nkambule was her financial advisor and acquaintance. She said the respondent (Nkambule) had been offering her assistance in the operations of the company whenever she was required to.

In the court papers, Dlamini submitted that on June 5, 2022, when employees of the company were on site in Big Bend, Nkambule, who was in the company of another man believed to be a mechanic, ordered the truck driver, Sandile Phakathi, to hand over the keys of the truck because they wanted to take it for service.

Dlamini said Phakathi did not resist the instruction and handed over the keys. She said Nkambule and the mechanic drove away in the truck without her permission.

“This has thrown the business operations into chaos and the business of the applicant has come to a halt, and the applicant suffers financial prejudice on a daily basis.

Dishonest

“What compounds the matter further is the fact that she took the truck from the driver using dishonest means. Not only that, she also did not give a valid reason why she took the company truck knowing well that the applicant relies heavily on its availability to generate income,” Dlamini submitted. The veracity of these allegations is still to be tested in court and the respondent is yet to reply. The company is represented by Celumusa Bhembe of Bhembe Nyoni Attorneys. She also informed the court that the ladders that Nkambule allegedly took, were very expensive and she was not in a financial position to replace them. The matter is pending in court. Dlamini submitted further that the date for the certificate of fitness expired on June 28, 2022 and had to be renewed as a matter of urgency. This cannot be possible without the ‘blue book’. At the time when the Nkambule allegedly dispossessed the company of its undisturbed possession, the managing director had not consented to the taking away of its assets.