Well-known actress and businesswoman, Sonia Mbele, has finally addressed the tax evasion charges brought against her. Mbele failed to appear in court on Wednesday alongside her former business partners to face charges of not submitting tax returns to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that the directors of Mbele’s company, Real Housewives of South Africa (Rhosa), are facing a total of 42 counts. These include not filing company income tax from 2019 to 2022, not filing VAT returns from 2020 to 2022, and failing to submit pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) returns from 2020 to 2022.
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Through her spokesperson, Thato Malindi, Mbele expressed her desire to overcome this hurdle and move forward with her new venture, Sonia Mbele Films. She claimed to have left Rhosa in 2019 and was unaware that the company was still operational.
Malindi stated, “In 2019, Sonia Mbele left Rhosa and now she is forced to attend these proceedings without any knowledge of the company still being operational. Sonia further made her own arrangements to settle her portion of the amount.”
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During the court hearing, the prosecutor presented a medical certificate from Mbele, which stated that she was on sick leave until October 3. However, the magistrate refused to accept it. Malindi confirmed that Mbele had also provided a doctor’s note to the NPA, which was entered into the records.
Mbele, still unwell, visited her doctor for further check-ups but remains determined to clear her name. She is actively working towards resolving the matter.
