Court issues arrest warrant for former SABC chair Ellen Tshabalala, who ‘can’t be found’

Gauteng police have confirmed that they are on the lookout for disgraced former SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala after they struggled for months to find her and formally charge her with fraud for allegedly lying about her qualifications in 2014.

Sowetan Live reports that the warrant was issued by the Johannesburg magistrate’s court after Tshabalala could not be found at her address for months.

She is wanted for allegedly lying to parliament about her qualifications when she applied for a job at the SABC over five years ago and faces further charges of misconduct in terms of the Broadcasting Act for misrepresenting and/or lying about her qualifications in her curriculum vitae.

Tshabalala stated in her CV that she had a BCom degree from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and a postgraduate degree in labour relations. Unisa went on the record to state that its records reflect that she never received either qualification from their institution.

She is also accused of lying under oath when she stated her qualifications were stolen during a burglary.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Noxolo Kweza told the publication police had been looking for Tshabalala, who “has disappeared”.

“We are currently looking for the suspect, as she has disappeared. We have obtained a warrant for her arrest and she is regarded as a wanted person. No one knows [her whereabouts]; even her neighbours said they haven’t seen her for quite some time,” said Kweza.

Tshabalala spoke to the publication, however, and denied that she was in hiding.

“I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. I have not disappeared. I’m in South Africa. I just hope they leave me alone and I have no reason to leave [the country] for anything.”

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)

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