Durban - Eighteen months ago, at the ANC’s centenary celebrations in Bloemfontein, party bigwigs and invited international dignitaries dined on three-course buffet meals that included meat roasts, traditional South African dishes and decadent desserts, all costing more than R1 million.
On Monday, however, the catering companies who supplied and served the food in January last year will be in the Durban High Court fighting for payment, after unsuccessfully demanding it from the main contractor.
In separate cases, two of the five catering companies - Joburg-based Sinclairs Signature Specialities, and the Durban-based Cheers Hiring - are suing Metrolink Event Management Solutions for their outstanding payments.
Sinclairs is seeking payment of almost R720 000.
In his affidavit, Glynn Sinclair, director of Sinclairs, said the company was hired as a sub-contractor, as the catering requirements were too big for a single catering company to handle.
The other contractors are listed as Markus Banzinger t/a Catering Concepts - which coordinated the sub-contractors on behalf of the main contractor - Nirus Foods, and Wings Inflight Services.
The director of Metrolink Event Management Solutions, Sundru Pillay, met with Sinclair and Banzinger at OR Tambo airport to discuss the manner in which Sinclairs would render its portion of catering services.
Pillay agreed to pay Sinclairs Signature Specialities R400 000 as an initial deposit before the celebrations.
The balance would be paid to Sinclairs at the end of January last year.
Sinclairs’ affidavit stated that the deposit was paid, as promised, on January 5, three days before the event.
A final invoice was issued on January 18, totalling R1 118 226. When payment of the deposit was set off against the bill, Metrolink owed Sinclairs R718 226.
“Notwithstanding constant communication between myself and Pillay, in terms of which I sought payment from the respondent for the outstanding balance, and Pillay undertook to make payment thereof, the respondent failed to make payment of any further amounts due to the Applicant, despite Pillay advising that payment was imminent.”
Follow-up demands for payment to Metrolink’s attorney were also unsuccessful.
Cheers Hiring’s application on Monday would be heard after that of Sinclairs’. Earlier this year, the company said Metrolink still owed it about R75 000.
Another one of the catering companies is weighing up its option of also suing for its outstanding balance of about R250 000.
When contacted for comment, Pillay gave the same reply he gave The Mercury in February this year - “It is being sorted.”
He then disconnected the phone call.
The Mercury