Sheriff seizes 13 municipal vehicles as Ramotshere Moiloa disputes R4m security bill

According to The Citizen, a sheriff attached 13 vehicles from the cash-strapped Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality after a default judgment over a disputed security contract.

What happened

According to The Citizen, the sheriff seized 13 municipal vehicles over an alleged unpaid contract of about R4 million owed to Vimtsire Protection & Security Services. The action followed a default judgment served on the municipality relating to a security contract that was terminated early.

Contract background and dispute

According to The Citizen, Vimtsire provided security services to the municipality between 2020 and 2023. The municipality disputes the amount claimed by Vimtsire, saying the debt is about R2 million rather than the R4 million being demanded by the Joburg-based company.

Impact and response

The Citizen reports the municipality indicated it intends to settle the outstanding amount on 1 July, after receiving its equitable share allocation. Municipal manager Lekgetho Mokgatlhe described the seizure as unfortunate and said:

“It is unfortunate the sheriff attached our cars as we thought our lawyers were in contact with them. The company was saying we owe them over R4 million, while we maintain it was about R2 million. At the moment we do not have money to settle the R2 million. We will pay the money on the first week of July, when we receive our equitable share allocation.”

How the seizure was carried out

According to The Citizen, the sheriff took every municipal car despite having a list that was supposed to guide them, resulting in 13 cars being seized. A municipal source told The Citizen:

“The sheriff did not use the list because most of the cars are broken and not moving. He was left with no choice but to take a car with a municipal tags; 13 of the cars were seized. This means I am not working as I do not have tools.”

Local reaction

According to The Citizen, Odirile Selomo of the SA National Civic Organisation said the dispute stemmed from a claim related to stolen cable and that the municipality had asked the company to pay for the cables; Selomo said the company refused. The Citizen also quotes DA councillor Imaan Sayed Suliman saying the seizure is affecting service delivery and that maintenance cannot be done.

Next steps

The Citizen reports the municipality plans to use its equitable share allocation in early July to settle the outstanding amount it recognises and resolve the dispute.