Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane is embroiled in a legal dispute with a Gauteng female motorist who rammed into his luxury vehicle when she was allegedly driving recklessly on one of the roads in northern Johannesburg.
Mosimane has parted with close to R1 million to repair his 2020 Porsche Cayenne at a repair shop in Johannesburg after the woman, Eressie Esther Austin, who was allegedly speeding, collided with his vehicle after she allegedly failed to apply her brakes timeously.
Although the luxury vehicle was extensively damaged, Mosimane apparently escaped the accident unscathed.
News of Mosimane’s accident became known after he filed papers in the Johannesburg High Court, where he is claiming more than R928,000 from Austin after she allegedly ignored his letter of demand to pay the bill or resolve the matter through mediation.
The court papers, which Africa Daily has seen, state that he was driving the vehicle, which was insured by Discovery Insure Limited, at the intersection of Sabie Road and Barry Hertzog Avenue on 8 June 2024 when Austin allegedly crashed into his vehicle.
Mosimane alleges the collision was caused solely by Austin’s negligence.
“She failed to keep a proper lookout. She failed to exercise adequate control over her motor vehicle. She failed to avoid causing a collision when, by the exercise of due and reasonable care, she could and should have done so,” he stated in the court papers.
The former Bafana Bafana coach also said Austin failed to apply the brakes of her motor vehicle at all, alternatively timeously and sufficiently.
He added that she also failed to adhere to the rules of the road, including lane discipline and safe merging.
“She failed to give any, alternatively any adequate, signal of her intention to change lanes or overtake, or otherwise encroach onto the plaintiff’s lane of travel. She executed an unsafe and abrupt lane change into the plaintiff’s lawful lane of travel, thereby causing a collision. She failed to stop and collided with the plaintiff’s motor vehicle. Alternatively, she drove the motor vehicle at an excessive speed under the circumstances,” reads the summons.
As a result of the collision, he said, his vehicle was damaged.
The damages claimed total R928,438.52, comprising R911,245.64 for vehicle repairs, R3,726 for towing services, R9,797.87 for vehicle rental costs, and a further R3,407.96 for a second vehicle rental.
According to the summons, Mosimane sent Austin a letter of demand to pay for the damage to the vehicle, but she allegedly ignored it.
He also said he tried to resolve the matter through mediation with Austin, but that too hit a brick wall.
Mosimane is asking the court to order Austin to pay R928,438.52, interest at the prescribed rate from the date of default until final payment, legal costs, and any further or alternative relief the court deems appropriate.
Court papers state that Mosimane was insured by Discovery Insure Limited, which is entitled to pursue the claim against Austin through the legal doctrine of subrogation, but chose to do so himself.
