Politically-connected businessman Peter-Paul Ngwenya’s 'bad' behaviour reduces financial manager to tears

One of Investec chairman Fani Titi's employees was reduced to tears by politically-connected businessman Peter-Paul Ngwenya's "bad" treatment when he stormed their offices demanding money‚ the Randburg Magistrate's Court was told.

"There were some tears because I was shocked‚" Josiah Ndlovu‚ a financial manager at MRC Media‚ said on Wednesday.

Ngwenya‚ who spent almost five years on Robben Island‚ is facing two counts of contravening a protection order Titi was granted against him and one count of crimen injuria for calling Titi a “k****r” in an SMS.

In the same SMS‚ Ngwenya tells Aqeel Patel‚ the managing director of MRC Media that “you will bleed” and that Titi “will see his mother”‚ which Titi regarded as a threat to his life since Ngwenya knew his mother had died.

The conflict between Ngwenya and Titi‚ who had been friends for 20 years‚ stems from a multimillion-rand deal that went sour. Ngwenya claims that Titi owes him close to R54-million.

It degenerated when Ngwenya called Free State-born Titi a “QwaQwa k****r” and a “bantustan boss” in an SMS intended for Patel.

Ndlovu said Ngwenya was shouting and screaming at him demanding that he pay him.

"It was bad. He raised his voice so high in a manner in which I had never heard him speak‚” Ndlovu said in court on Wednesday.

He said he had known Ngwenya for eight years and they had never clashed.

"I was badly treated that day‚" Ndlovu said.

Ndlovu said he has received a number of emails from Ngwenya prior to him visiting their premises to demand the money.

"I did not respond to his emails because I was waiting on instruction from my director [Patel]‚” he said.

Ndlovu told the court that he processed Ngwenya's payment while he was there as he refused to leave the premises until he had received the money.

The state has closed its case and the matter will be heard on May 24 for the defence to call its witnesses.