Intrigue and drama continue to surround eBundu Lodge and the convicted fraudster whose sentencing has so far been postponed 29 times.
As eBundu Lodge owner, Sibusiso Tshabalala’s legal matters continue in both the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court and the Nelspruit Regional Court.

He was convicted of fraud in October 2021 after defrauding the lodge of about R160 000.

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Sibusiso approached the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court to appeal the conviction but the court ordered that he be sentenced by the Nelspruit Regional Court.

His lawyers then approached the Supreme Court of Appeal, which ordered that a full bench of judges hear the matter at the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela.

Sibusiso is scheduled to appear in the Nelspruit Regional Court on October 9, where the outcome of the High Court hearing is expected to be read.

Meanwhile, former Mbombela magistrate, Adv Khalipha Ngcangca (55), is accused of offering a R10 000 bribe to magistrate Deon van Rooyen, who was supposed to sentence Sibusiso following his conviction.

Ngcangca was arrested by the Hawks in the Free State and charged with corruption on April 13.

He appeared in the Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court the same day and was released on warning, pending his next court appearance on May 8.

It is alleged that Ngcangca approached Van Rooyen on April 2, 2022 and offered him R10 000 in exchange for a non-custodial sentence for Sibusiso.

Van Rooyen refused the bribe and laid criminal charges against Ngcangca who was also a magistrate at the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court at the time.

He also reported the matter to the Magistrate’s Commission.

Upon learning of the investigations against him, Ngcangca resigned as a magistrate and went on to practice as a legal representative.

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The ongoing drama includes allegations by Sibusiso against the Jansons, the co-owners of eBundu Lodge, of racial discrimination.

Family spokesperson Willem Janson dismissed the accusations:

“Before selling shares of the lodge to the Tshabalalas, we had over 100 staff members that we treated like family without considering that they were black,” he said.

“The Tshabalalas are always playing a race card whenever they find themselves in a tight corner.”

The Jansons laid criminal charges against Sibusiso and his wife, Ntombizodwa Tshabalala, after discovering that lodge invoices had been forged and the money funnelled into the couple’s bank accounts.

Ntombizodwa was acquitted.