Sam Holdings millionaire arrested on charges of corruption, again
Well known businessman Sam ‘Mshengu’ Chabalala has been arrested and charged with corruption for a second time in less than a year, leading to his court appearance in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court today.
This after he was nabbed in eMalahleni in September last year where he also face, among others, a corruption charge.
Chabalala, whose real name is Sambulo Bruce, but who goes by the name Mshengu, made headlines after he arrived at the Durban July in 2019 with a convoy of 72 cars of which 10 was said to be his. A Zimbabwean news outlet alleged that it was this flashy display of wealth that caused him to land on the authorities’ radar.
Chabalala is the owner of Mpumalanga based logistics company Sam Holdings. He said during an interview on Power FM that he owns 52 trucks, does transport for Eskom and is also venturing into the mining business.
He was arrested on 6 September 2016 at a restaurant in eMalahleni on charges of Contravention of the Immigration Act, fraud, corruption, bribery and being in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The state accused Chabalala of trying to bribe a home affairs official to stop an investigation into his citizenship.
It was reported that he allegedly got his identity document in 2015 and that the woman he claims is his mother, said she does not know him. The Bethal hospital, where it is claimed he was born, also have no record of his birth.
The Hawks released a press release at the time of his arrest saying that Chabalala was also allegedly found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. He was later released on R200 000 bail in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court. His lawyer said that the state had a weak case against his client.
During his most previous arrest on Thursday 13 February, Chabalala is accused of attempting to bribe a senior police official to get his luxury vehicle released from the SAP 13 where it was kept as evidence. Brig. Hlangwani Mulaudzi, Hawks spokesperson, also alleged that Chabalala attempted to have the case against him disappear.
He allegedly made two payments, one of R50 000 and another of R70 000 on Thursday, after which he was arrested.
Brig. Mulaudzi said that the state has already begun with the process to forfeit the R120 000 and the luxury vehicle Chabalala was using during the commission of the crime are already underway.
Chabalala appeared in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday for his first appearance. He was represented by Messrs Hlawu Maluleke and Caiphus Mboweni. The state opposed bail and the matter was postponed until later in February for a formal bail application. Mr Mboweni requested for his client to be held at the Middelburg Police cells to make consultation with him easier.
• The general manager of Sam Holdings, Nathi Ngcobo, was shot and killed in an apparent assassination in Bethal on 12 September 2019. He sustained two gunshot wounds, one in the chest and the other in the head and was declared dead on the scene.
