Municipality’s trash is another man’s treasure
The Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality recently put more than 200 items up for auction.
These items are either unused or unusable by the municipality, and totalled to R762 500, excluding added costs.
Auction-all.com from Pretoria was tasked to get as much money as possible for the items, to lift the municipality's nearly empty bank account a bit.
The auction took place on Wednesday 10 July at the Alex Laing Hall, after the bidders had two days to view the items on auction on the municipal property.
Martin Nel took the auction chair on stage. He explained that the goods will be sold, subject to 15 per cent added tax, 10 per cent value-added tax, plus R2 500 where document fee is applicable, and five per cent handling fee.
The auction started promising, with 11 vehicles sold for R286 000 (excluding added costs). The sell of the day was an Isuzu KB that went for R47 000 (excluding added costs). A redundant canopy was sold for the low price of R50. Scrap metal dealers opened their wallets to take home whatever they can break up later and resell.
Some of this scrap included redundant concrete mixers, compressors, alloy wire, transformers, a water tank, steel bins and lots more.
Six transformers were sold for R77 000, which a bidder from George told the Advertiser is a bargain. He said he will be able to triple his investment within a week. The highest bid on a transformer was R16 000. Three Massey Ferguson Tractors in three lots were sold for R33 000, R29 000 and R26 000 (excluding added costs).
A Ford tractor was auctioned for
R22 000 and a scrap tractor for R5 000. The municipality did not comment in time for print about what the money will be spent on.