Check with RTI to avoid buying a stolen vehicle
A warning issued by Mnyaluza Security provincial manager, Khulani Luthuli, after the company unwittingly bought a stolen vehicle advertised on social media
BEFORE buying a car from a stranger, take the seller and the vehicle to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) offices for inspection to avoid buying a stolen car.
This was the warning issued by Mnyaluza Security provincial manager, Khulani Luthuli, after the company unwittingly bought a stolen vehicle advertised on social media.
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Recalling the incident, Luthuli said the vehicle was in good condition, with the logbook corresponding to the seller’s name. ‘We were looking for a second-hand vehicle to use in our Durban branch,’ he said.
‘We approached the seller who told us he was selling the vehicle to make money to complete the roof of his house at Eniwe, outside Empangeni.
‘We trusted him and bought the car. While we were in the process of changing ownership, we were approached by the RTI official claiming that our vehicle had two registration numbers.’
The official arrived at Mnyaluza Security’s Empangeni office, showing documentation for both ND and NUF registrations in the system. ‘We explained that we were still waiting for a new number plate from Durban,’ said Luthuli.
‘They understood our story, but wanted to do an inspection. They then discovered that the car was stolen in Hillcrest on 22 February last year, and the initial registration was NU.’
Luthuli said, when police demanded more information, they were forced to take the seller to the police station to respond to allegations of theft. The seller was then taken to Pinetown SAPS where he was subsequently charged with possession of stolen property.
‘We are sharing this information to encourage others to first go to the RTI offices to check that the vehicle is legitimate,’ he said.
‘If we did not have contact details of the seller, we would have found ourselves in trouble. People must be careful or they could end up in jail for a crime they did not commit.’
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