South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has announced that it will not consider any no more postponements in the case of tax evasion involving former Generations actress Sonia Mbele, after she was once again a no-show for her latest court appearance.
Mbele is facing 42 charges alongside Yolisa Gqunta and Rebone Sesing, her co-directors on the real TV franchise, for contravening SA’s Tax Administration Act.
It is alleged that the three, as directors in relation to their company, Real Housewives of SA, were not filing company income tax from 2019 to 2022 while also failing to file their Value Added Tax (VAT) returns from 2020 to 2022.
The NPA has also charged the trio for failing to file their Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) from 2020 until 2022.
While Mbele submitted a medical certificate excusing her from proceedings, Phindi Mjonondwane said that the court has granted Mbele the last opportunity to appear on October 20.
“The court has granted the last opportunity to Ms Mbele to attend the proceedings, in that it marked the postponement as final, following her submission of a medical certificate for the second time where she could not attend court, citing ill health,” Mjonondwane said.
Mjonondwane said the justice system would not be blackmailed by Mbele’s claims of sickness.
“The criminal justice system cannot be held at ransom, where there are legitimate and serious health concerns.
“We as the prosecution have requested that those should be declared to the court, so that we can know whether or not these are legitimate and serious health concerns that necessitate that this matter be delayed.”
Through her spokesperson, Thato Malindi, Mbele said that the bout of exhaustion she suffered from in May had caused her inability to attend court proceedings.
Mbele was reportedly hospitalised for two weeks in May after she collapsed due to exhaustion.
According to Zimoja, the actress had to be rushed to hospital, as the stress about the failure or success of the third season of the reality TV series, which was launched on 19 May, got to her.
“She is currently still getting treatment and taking weekly iron drips, as for the court matter her legal representative, the NPA and SARS are dealing with the court matter accordingly,” said Malindi.
