Court grants Sonia Mbele last chance after another no-show

Media personality Sonia Mbele was a no-show again in court today. This comes a week after the actress did the same. Now the court has given her a final opportunity to appear later this month.

“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,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.

Mbele was expected to appear at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court together with Yolisa Gqunta and Rebone Sesing for contravening the Tax Administration Act. The three are directors of a company named Real Housewives of South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

Can’t be held to ransom

“The criminal justice system cannot be held at ransom, where there are legitimate and serious health concerns,” said Mjonondwane.

“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.”

Last week, the former Generations actress submitted a medical certificate stating she was booked off sick until 3 October.

An application was made for Mbele’s warrant of arrest to be issued and has been held over until today.

In a statement last week, Mjonondwane said the directors – in relation to their company, Real Housewives of South Africa – are facing 42 counts of not filing company income tax returns from 2019 to 2022, not filing their Value Added Tax (VAT) returns from 2020 to 2022 and also not filing their Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) from 2020 to 2022.

The Citizen reached out to Mbele for comment but had not received a response by the time of publishing. Last week in a statement by Sonie Mbele Films’ spokesperson Thato Malindi, the actress expressed her confusion as to why the NPA was making it seem as though she was dodging the court.

“It confuses and derails us on why these allegations have been highlighted to make it seem like she has been ducking and dodging these allegations. To top it off, Sonia is still not well and went, yet again today, to the doctor for a further check-up but she is still working to settle her name, which has been dented by her previous peers and the media,” read the statement.

ALSO READ: Case against ‘Real Housewives’ director Sonia Mbele and partners postponed to next week

In hospital

The actress, who also appeared on Netflix’s Blood and Water, was reportedly in hospital for two weeks in May after collapsing due to exhaustion.

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She was reportedly discharged from hospital just two days before the launch of the third season of the series, Blood and Water.

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