Disabled millionaire penniless no more

Avela Mathimba fiddles with his R1,000 Adidas sneakers, adjusts his red Nike Air Jordan cap and smiles broadly. After all, he has a lot to smile about.

"Even when I had nothing and was suffering, I was always obsessed with being clean and looking good," the 27-year-old says. "People will not want to be around you when you don't look presentable, even if you're in a wheelchair."

Ten months ago, Mathimba's plight featured on the front page of the Sunday Times. He was involved in an intense battle with his attorney, Zuko Nonxuba, who was holding on to the nearly R10-million that Mathimba was awarded by the Road Accident Fund and the Eastern Cape department of health.

Thanks to media pressure, Mathimba - who became known as the "penniless millionaire" - received about R3-million of his cash in May. And when he welcomed the Sunday Times into his renovated homestead in the small Eastern Cape town of Lusikisiki, his life was clearly looking more rosy.

For Mathimba, who was paralysed by a spinal injury in a 2004 car crash, life is no longer about agonising over his stolen millions. Now he talks openly about his love for fashion, building a new home on the property he inherited from his mother, his brand-new, hand-operated R330,000 red Mazda 3 and his plans to further his education.

Like any other young man, he is brand conscious. It is his shoe collection, which he started before receiving his money, that he is particularly proud of.

From luxury Italian Carvela loafers to Adidas and Nike sneakers and trainers, Mathimba has them all. But he shares some of his collection with his family, because he knows "that we all suffer".

"All in all, my shoes at the moment are about six pairs, because some of them end up with some family members," he said.

Mathimba's Carvela collection alone is worth between R6,300 and R7,800.

"These are really comfortable shoes and also work well with the fact that my feet are on a wheelchair most of the time."

In February, the Sunday Times highlighted how Mathimba was surviving on a state grant despite successful personal injury lawsuits against both the RAF and provincial department of health.

In total, he was awarded R9.7-million. Apart from the injuries in the crash, he suffered further injuries while being treated at two provincial hospitals.

The money, which had been awarded and paid out in 2013, was sitting in Nonxuba's account while the two were embroiled in a legal spat. Nonxuba, a controversial attorney with several complaints of impropriety against him as well as an ongoing criminal investigation by the Hawks, claimed Mathimba was not of sound mind and could not manage such a windfall.

But the plucky young man disputed this. And he won.

He has set about renovating houses on his property and building a one-bedroom home. While progress is being made (see below), he knows that the fight to receive the full payout is not yet over, as he receives a monthly stipend of R8,000 a month from Phillip Davison, an accountant who is a trustee of Mathimba's trust.

"For instance, I have now run out of money for fittings such as bath tubs, a railing, plus a shower for the bathroom because he [Davison] releases it in dribs and drabs. This person was appointed as trustee because he is an accountant, but he sees nothing wrong with Nonxuba depositing just R3-million from an award of over R9-million from 2013."

He spoke of several run-ins with Davison which eventually led to him instructing his lawyer to engage with the accountant.

"I had to complain to the master of the court before he finally approved the purchase of my car. In January, I will again approach the master to have him removed," Mathimba said.

But Davison denied the claims. "That is absolute nonsense.

"Did he tell you that the trust has built him a house in Lusikisiki and has also purchased him a brand-new vehicle specifically modified to enable him to drive, as well as forwarding R50,000 towards legal costs for the recovery of outstanding funds due by Nonxuba?" he said.

Mathimba has his sights set on the future. "Next year I want to further my studies and that involves moving to Durban, where I will need to purchase another small property to live in while studying there.

"I know money does not last forever, but that property will be an investment."

Building an independent life

Builders labour under the blistering Transkei summer sun to complete a new house in Nomvalo Village, near Lusikisiki. The yard is a hive of activity as, amid the construction, family members move between two other newly renovated houses on the property.

It is a sight that makes Avela Mathimba proud. After his hard-fought victory, he set about getting his house in order - literally.

Getting the cash has allowed him to fulfil his late mother's dream of having her son build a modern, electrified home and become self-sufficient. Mathimba is putting the final touches to a new one-bedroom structure with an inside bathroom, a lounge and a garage. He has also renovated two houses at the homestead, all at a cost of just over R240,000.

In one of the houses, a rondavel, Mathimba lies on his new bed, which will be moved into the new house once it is complete. On the floor are a couple of immaculately polished shoes.A brand-new 42-inch flat-screen television, hooked up to a DStv decoder, stands on cardboard boxes.

In the house being built, a massive three-piece lounge suite wrapped in cardboard waits on the soon-to-be-tiled floor.

Next door are several drums filled with fermenting sorghum beer in preparation for Mathimba's first traditional ceremony, a thanksgiving that will coincide with the erection of new tombstones for his parents.

skitis@sundaytimes.co.za