BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The embattled Luthando Holdings has failed to show publicly a certificate as evidence of being Yamaha Motors’ products’ sole importer, distributor, and seller to Malawi.
In a questionnaire response sent to Luthando Holdings Director Hendrix Laher on Friday, January 19, 2024, enquiring about his authenticity claims of being Yamaha’s sole importer, Laher referred the paper to matters that are in court.
On Friday, Laher responded, “I will contact you later, going for meetings with our bankers”.
After several attempts to get his full feedback on the questionnaire on Saturday afternoon, Hendrix replied, “Just attend court sessions, all matters are in court”
Laher’s failure to produce the certificate comes barely two weeks after his firm, Luthando Holdings used Stansfield Motors limited name with a bogus address to obtain an injunction stopping Yamaha Motors Corporation from awarding the sole dealership of Yamaha to Paramount Holdings.
This publication understands that Luthando uses unauthorised dealers from South Africa to supply Yamaha products when he wins government contracts, including motors bike’s tendering.
According to Japan’s Yamaha Motors certification, a sole dealer is allowed to supply its products to one country.
This is the reason the
Japanese leading automobile manufacturer Yamaha Motors recently certified Paramount Holdings Limited (PHL) as the sole importer and seller of Yamaha products for Malawi.
A letter of authorization between Yahama and PHL signed by Ryuji Kuwano, Yamaha’s Group Manager for Africa Market Development Division and Overseas Market Development Operation Business Unit says the agreement is effective from November 2022.
According to the agreement, the listed products for the Malawi market include Yamaha motorcycles, outboard motors, water pump generators, spare parts, and others.
“Whereas YAMAHA MOTOR CO, LTD, who are official manufacturers of Yamaha products, having factories at 2500, Shingai, Iwata, Shizuoka, 438-8501, Japan, do hereby confirm that Paramount Holdings Limited, a private corporation having its principal place of business at P.O. BOX2736, Lilongwe, Malawi, is our officially appointed importer for the Yamaha Motorcycles, Outboard motors, Water pumps Generators, and spare parts for the territory of Malawi, under the terms and conditions of the agreement made between us and them on November 1, 2022”, reads part of agreement letter signed by Kuwano and which PHL has published in a local newspaper.
In his comment, one of the country’s economic commentators on condition of anonymity faulted Luthando for resorting to business dealership matters to court instead of pushing for partnership.
He argued further that partnership must be embraced with multi-national companies rather than fighting battles that can not yield anything.
“Let’s accept that several local companies do not have capacities to win tenders for big projects from the government. If local companies share the same vision with multinational firms, the best thing is to partner with them, not fighting, smearing campaigns, and propaganda.
“The best way Luthando could do was to partner with Paramount Holdings in business ventures not rushing to court to claim dealership when (Luthando) don’t have certification of it from Yamaha Motors of Japan”, the commentator offers advice to Laher.
Luthando Holdings fights against PHL for Yamaha products tenders is against President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government calls for multinational companies to invest in Malawi
Chakwera on his foreign trips, has been coaxing multinational companies to come and invest in Malawi in a bid to create jobs for young people towards one million job attainment.
