Bidders get on board at Montana auction
SOME of the luxury items belonging to former Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) chief executive Lucky Montana went under the hammer in Johannesburg yesterday in a bid to recover the money he owes the SA Revenue Service (Sars).
The most expensive item to be sold by the Sheriff: Johannesburg North at its office in Rosettenville were six silky floor rugs that fetched more than R20 000 after bidding among about 40 bidders.
A creamy eight-piece lounge suite was sold for R20 000 while a number of Miele appliances, ranging from a doubledoor fridge to two washing machines and a microwave oven, were sold for between R1 500 and R6 000.
Montana’s Samsung TV went for R10 100 while his book collection was sold for R2 600 after intense bidding.
His collection ranged from African classics penned by Ghana’s first postindependence leader Kwame Nkrumah, to late Nigerian author Chinua Achebe and JM Coetzee, as well as books by Ingrid Jonker and Professor Bernard Magubane’s South Africa: From Soweto to Uitenhage: The Political Economy of the South African Revolution.
Other books part of the pile sold to a single buyer included several on Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, American philosopher Noam Chomsky, Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini, retired Constitutional Court justice Albie Sachs and Canadian writer Robin Sharma.
Also auctioned were four wooden racks bursting at the seams with CDs and DVDs and artworks and artefacts.
The diverse music collection included African greats such as Fela Kuti, Ali Farka Touré, Khadja Nin and Salif Keita, while also featuring the likes of jazz singer Lizz Wright, R&B and soul artists such as Dave Hollister, Eric Benet, Beverley Knight, Leela James and Leona Lewis, were sold to bidders.
Other household goods and appliances sold included two additional big screen television sets, an Apple desktop computer, printers as well as tables and chairs.
Late in 2019, Montana described Sars’ move to attach his assets as vindictive, unethical and an attempt to intimidate him to abandon his appearance at the state capture inquiry.
This followed the taxman reportedly obtaining warrants of execution to attach two luxury vehicles and other moveable property belonging to Montana over unpaid taxes of nearly R1.8 million.
The moveable property was attached by the sheriff from two properties.
Montana admitted that he owed Sars about R1.6m arising from the sale of two properties – capital gains tax.
He said he had agreed to settle the amount as soon as he disposed of another property, which Sars was informed of.
“I am fully aware of my obligation to the tax authorities, and the role that this plays in our lives.
“I have never disputed the amount owed to Sars and have made a firm commitment to settle this,” Montana said at the time.
Sars spokesperson Siphithi Sibeko told Independent Media that the taxman had not yet received a briefing on the auction.