Took the money and ran

I contracted M Matose Builders (Alfred Matose) to build a new cottage on my property as well as extend and renovate a room. I was cautioned by the people referring him that whilst his work is quite good, without fail he comes along after the project has started saying that he did not count on certain things, and the price is going up. So I met with him and concluded a specific agreement that this would not happen, and that EVERYTHING involved would be properly considered and agreed to be part of the cost. As it turns out this was a worthless agreement. Shortly into the project he came to me to tell me that I had not specified a floor, and that it would be R18 000 to screed a 15sqm floor! He then began offering 'quotes' for everything from the lighting (wanting R600 per downlighter unit - I bought them myself from The Lighting Warehouse for R590 for a box of 3 units), to the plaster - which he also said I had not specified (he apparently was under the opinion we wanted no floors and no plaster on the walls - yet he acknowledged that painting was part of the deal.) Having paid hm his first 50% on start, after only one week he cam to me with a story about how his suppliers were cheating him and charging more than they quoted, and insisting on the next 25% (taking the upfront payment to 75%). We were still having discussions about his 'extra costs', but I reluctantly agreed to pay the extra 35%. (We were up to just under roof height, and an assessment of the job proved we were approximately 25% of the way through the agreed project. No sooner had I paid the extra 25% than he told me he was unable to continue without the remaining 25% (ie: 100% of the agreed quote) as he could not afford to buy the materials. I bluntly refused to do so, and said that I insisted he continue and complete his agreed scope of work, and that if he had mismanaged his money he would have to find a way out of it that did not demand me paying 100% up front for the project. When I arrived home that evening he had left the site, taking all his own equipment away with him, and also all the materials that had been delivered to site - for which I had paid. I called him to find out what was happening, and he simply told me that - as he had explained - he was unable to continue and would not be returning to site. ******** charges are pending, as well as a civil lawsuit. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO ANY BUSINESS WITH THIS *****. He also failed to provide proper invoices on many requests, and when he did provide documents he is *******ly billing himself as a (Pty) Ltd company, when he is registered as a CC, and using a non-existent VAT number.