Sam Holdings is one of the young but popular companies in South Africa, partly because of what it does, and partly because of its owner; Sam Mshengu Chabalala who is famed for owning the business venture, a logistics company that has set him among the wealthy young entrepreneurs in South Africa. He owns 52 trucks and has been nicknamed the ‘trucker millionaire’.
Despite the fact that this may be the reason why he has received praises, he has also been criticized for showing off his wealth in an extreme way, for alleged fraud, and bribery in addition to other allegations. Ironically, these allegations have increased Mshengu’s popularity, especially since 2019 when he traveled to Durban in a convoy of 72 cars of which 10 were his before he suddenly went all quiet and for quite some time, it has remained unknown where he might be, or even if he is still alive.
Sam Mshengu’s Childhood Was Without His Father Who Was Killed After His Birth
Despite the fact that he is popularly known as Sam Mshengu and was said to have been born in Makwarela, Venda, South Africa on December 15, 1995, a South African court issued his real name as Gilbert Tachuona who was probably born in Zimbabwe and could be a Zimbabwean.
Two days after his birth, Mshengu lost his father who was serving as a soldier and on a mission in Congo before he was shot. The death of Mshengu’s father led to the beginning of the many struggles for the family, especially financially.
At the age of 11 when feeding became a more difficult task and his school fees became even harder, he took a job, picking oranges at the Limpopo Orange farm. He was diligent in his duties and that earned him the trust of his boss who saddled him with more responsibilities. Soon, he was introduced into truck driving where again; he earned another trust that led him to become the controller of other drivers.
He Went from Being A Dropout At 11 To A Millionaire Before 30, Thanks To Sam Holdings
Mshengu allowed himself to learn more about the truck business, and again his boss was there to let him start using his trucks when he registered his company, Sam Holdings, in 2014. From there, he saved, bought a truck, and continued counting until he owned his 52nd.
The business flourished as he became known. His trucks transport goods to many parts of South Africa. With the business, he continued to count his earnings which made him acquire an estimated net worth between R3 and R4 million.
In an interview, his dream of starting a mining company was clearly stated. This later became fruitful with the launch of Mshengu Mining and Resources which is also a part of Sam Holdings.
It Is Not Known If He Married For Love or For South African Citizenship
Aside from his road to success, little details have been given as regards his early life and family. All the same, he married Lerato Legodi in 2019 at a private ceremony. Although she was his long term girlfriend, there are claims that he probably married the South African lady so as to earn the country’s citizenship.
Whatever the case may be, he has shared good memories on his social media pages. Not so much is known about the family or career of Legodi, but she seems to be a socialite and has gained thousands of followers on Instagram.
Mshengu has a son, but what is not clear is whether his wife is the biological mother.
What happened to Sam Mshengu?
Sam Mshengu’s First Arrest Was For His Citizenship StatusÂ
In 2019, the beginning of Mshengu’s legal battle started when he was arrested for having South African citizenship when he was, as alleged, from Zimbabwe. He was also accused of fraud, illegal possession of a firearm, and corruption. However, he was granted bail by the Witbank Magistrate court.
Is He a Zimbabwean?
As regards the allegations leveled against him, it is believed he is not a legal South African who was born in Makwarela as his name was not found in documents in the hospital in Bethal where he claimed to be born. Evidence has not been given to prove his birth and allegedly, the woman he claimed was his mother claimed she had never heard of him. Therefore, the genuineness of his citizenship is questionable; he is purportedly a Zimbabwean.
In his defense, he has maintained his innocence, said he’ll expose the police, and how the accusations laid against him were fabricated. He also claimed his life was threatened, his friends were against him, and the lives of those around him might be in danger.
Following his first release, he was also accused of bribing the police to let the initial allegations about him go down. Sam Mshengu was accused of offering the police officer a R120,000 bribe so as to also release his impounded car, a G-Wagon following a down payment of R50,000.
For yet another time, he was released on bail even though his legal battle was far from ending. But to the surprise of many, he refused to appear on different occasions before the court. This led to the police obtaining a warrant to arrest him again.
In the heat of his battle in court as a result of the above mentioned, his friend, confidante, and manager of Sam Holdings was shot dead eight times when he was about leaving the Sam Holdings depot in Bethal, Mpumalanga. Before the incident, the deceased was interviewed by the authority concerning the citizenship of his friend, Chabalala. More than that, an affidavit was signed by him, and some sources maintained the shooting was carried out by Sam’s bodyguard.
The Sam Holdings Founder Has Vanished Since His Second Arrest
Mshengu’s failure to make an appearance in the court was not the only concern, but also his absence from his home and the public. Earlier, rumors have juggled that he was served a notice for his citizenship to be revoked.
Following his absence, his wife called his staff to stop them from going to work for a while. Mshelengu also sent his wife and employees a suicidal note. In his wife’s he wrote that as much as she would love to bury him, he was going to jump into a crocodile’s river. The authority claim Mshengu might be on the run and needed for them to divert attention, but they’ll continue trailing him.
His life on social media has also been put in check as his known way of posting on his social media accounts has become a shadow of itself. The truck millionaire last posted in November of 2019. What is however still a mystery is whether he is still alive, or has carried on with the suicidal threat.
In terms of Sam Holdings since the absence of its owner, the company has not been fairing so well. According to sources, about 10 of his trucks were auctioned for sale by the Aucor Auctioneers in Midrand earlier in 2020.
