Renowned South African actress and entrepreneur Sonia Mbele has found herself entangled in legal trouble as she failed to make her scheduled court appearance on charges of tax evasion.
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Sonia Mbele No-Show Sparks Legal Proceedings
Scheduled to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, Sonia Mbele was conspicuously absent. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) swiftly responded by initiating proceedings to secure a warrant for her arrest on grounds of contempt of court.
However, Sonia later communicated with the court, citing illness as the reason for her nonattendance. She submitted a medical certificate, which indicated her unavailability until October 3, 2023, as reported by IOL. Consequently, the prosecution decided to withhold the arrest warrant.
Subsequently, the Johannesburg Magistrates Court adjourned the case to October 5, allowing for Sonia’s appearance in court and providing an opportunity for her co-accused to secure legal representation.
The Tax Evasion Allegations
Sonia Mbele faces charges alongside Yolisa Gqunta and Rebone Sesing in connection with alleged violations of the Tax Administration Act while serving as directors of Real Housewives of South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
According to Phindi Mjonondwane, the NPA spokesperson, the directors are accused of a litany of offences:
“The directors in relation to their company, Real Housewives of South Africa are facing 42 counts of not filling company income tax 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 until 2022.”
Sonia Mbele In Health Scare
Sonia Mbele’s recent health-related troubles are not isolated incidents. In May of this year, she collapsed, leading to her hospitalization shortly before the launch of Real Housewives of Johannesburg. Reports indicate that she suffered from bouts of dizziness, attributed to overwork and stress.
Sources close to Sonia revealed to ZiMoja that she has been grappling with severe anxiety, which was exacerbated when she faced the loss of Real Housewives of Johannesburg in 2021.