A man regrets loaning his BMW X5 to a friend who then skipped the country with it.
Lwanda Dabadini, 32, gave his tjommie Edmond Siduna the keys to his larney cabbie six days ago to take his wife and child to hospital but says Siduna has not returned.
Instead, the wife told him that Siduna had abandoned her and drove to Namibia with the silver Beemer.
The Lansdowne man says he bought the car from Edmond for R60 000 earlier this year.
“I bought the car from him in July and because at that time the traffic departments were closed (due to lockdown), we only tried to change the vehicle to my name about a week ago,” Lwanda explains.
“Last Thursday we were supposed to go, he came to me and told me that he had to take his wife and newborn baby to Red Cross Children’s Hospital.”
Lwanda says he agreed because Siduna previously asked to borrow his car and always returned it.
“But I waited the whole night for him to return the car and he didn’t.”
Lwanda tells the Daily Voice that the following morning he found out that his friend had left the country.
“When I called him, his phone was off, I called his wife who told me that he sold everything in their house and that he was on his way to Namibia and that she and the child were going to leave for Zimbabwe.”
In a text message from the wife, she says: “Eddy left me yesterday saying he is going to Namibia to look for money, he sold everything in the house. I tried to stop him but with my condition of my operation (wound) opening (I couldn’t). He was blaming his gold deal of being broke. No food at home and no rent. So I might go back to Zim now (sic).”
Lwanda says Siduna never mentioned his money problems or going to Namibia to him.
“That car cost me R60 000 and now I am left with no transportation.
“On Monday he called me and apologised and said he wants to bring it back but doesn’t know how.
“He has now changed his phone number and I have no way of contacting him.”
Both Siduna and his wife’s phones were off on Wednesday.
Lwanda has since laid a charge of theft with police.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirms: “Please be advised that a use of motor vehicle without the owner’s consent case was opened for investigation with no arrest yet.”