Bank goes after troubled sports presenter Robert Marawa’s car Mercedes Benz AMG

A financial service provider is gunning for top sportscaster Robert Marawa’s Mercedes-Benz AMG after he failed to make a balloon payment amounting to more than R1 million.

Marawa, who is currently the ambassador for luxury car dealer Lexus SA, has been taken to the Pretoria High Court for failing to pay R1 097 986 to Mercedes-Benz’s in-house financial services.

The dealership was granted a court order to cancel the agreement and repossess the car in August. It was also granted permission to apply for an order to obtain any outstanding balances on the loan following the resale of the car.

According to court documents filed by the dealership, Marawa had missed a payment of the balloon amount last December.

Marawa was still in possession of the car and asked Mercedes-Benz to refinance his balloon payment.

According to the court papers, the bank denied Marawa’s request, saying he was not entitled to call for the refinance of the balloon payment and was going against his contractual obligations.

The swanky ride, with an initial price tag of R1 431 304, was delivered to Marawa on November 29 2018.

“He paid R28 982 in monthly instalments for 36 months and was left with a once-off balloon payment which was due on December 1 last year.”

Mercedes-Benz financial services claims to have informed the award-winning sports show host of his arrears in writing and only approached the court in February to cancel the sale agreement, after he allegedly failed to pay.

The dealership also applied for the car to be repossessed from Marawa and requested that he pay the cost of the court application.

The dealership’s court document also requested “an order authorising the plaintiff [Mercedes-Benz financial services] to apply to the court on the same papers, supplemented insofar as may be necessary for judgment in respect of any damages and further expenses incurred by the plaintiff in the repossession of the said vehicle, which amount can only be determined once the vehicle has been repossessed by plaintiff and has been sold.”

In effect, this would make Robert Marawa liable for any shortfalls on the loan repayment following its resale.

In a response sent through his lawyers, Ramabulana Attorneys, Marawa denied that he had breached the agreement and challenged the authority of the court.

Marawa’s argument read: “The defendant denies that the above honourable court has jurisdiction to adjudicate this matter and puts the plaintiff to proof. The defendant denies material breach of the loan agreement and puts plaintiff to proof thereof.”

The dealer responded by stating that Marawa’s denials were vague. It insisted that he was contractually bound to make the balloon payment and was not entitled to refinancing.

“The defendant [Marawa] further loses sight of the fact that the plaintiff elected to terminate the agreement, and therefore the balloon payment cannot automatically be refinanced at the sole election and request of the defendant. The defendant fails to plead any basis for why it should receive or expect such entitlement,” read Mercedes-Benz financial services court papers.

Marawa, who on Friday was on tour promoting his new book, Gqimm Shelele: The Robert Marawa Story, was unavailable for comment.