Deposit theft

My employee, an immigrant from Malawi wanted to buy a car to make himself more employable and better his life. He found one on Gunmtree that he liked. It was for sale by Jacques van Wyk at Highway motors. My employee said that he liked the car but he wanted to talk to his mechanic and to me about it. They said he must give them R3000 so that they dont sell it to anyone else. After speaking to me and to his mechanic he realised that he actually couldn't afford the repairs that wouldn't be required and decided not to buy the car. We contacted them in less that 24 hours from when the holding deposit was paid to say that he wouldn't be taking the car. They were extraordinarily rude and said that they refuse to give his his deposit back. I took the police there and they didnt even bat an eyelid. They just keep refusing the pay the money back. The police told me that the owner has 22 counts of theft against him. So now we are going to sue in the small claims court to get the money back. These people are so disgusting, I have never dealt with such underhanded, low class trash in all my life.