Mpumalanga, South Africa – Sibusiso Albert Tshabalala, owner of eBundu Lodge, has successfully delayed his sentencing for fraud at least 26 times, according to court records. The most recent postponement occurred on September 18 at the Commercial Crimes Court in Mbombela.
Tshabalala was convicted of fraud in October 2021 for allegedly defrauding his own business alongside his wife, Ntombizodwa Katlego Tshabalala, through fake invoices and embezzlement. While Sibusiso was convicted, his wife was acquitted.
Postponements of the sentencing have been frequent, attributed to a variety of reasons including Tshabalala changing lawyers, claims of magistrate bias, and procedural delays. A significant turning point occurred in April 2025 when Magistrate D van Rooyen recused himself after revealing he was offered a R10,000 bribe to impose a non-custodial sentence on Tshabalala.
“I was taken aback. I rejected the offer with contempt,” said Van Rooyen, emphasizing his commitment to justice and integrity. The magistrate’s recusal led to investigations by law enforcement into the bribery attempt.
The latest postponement was due to three main factors, explained Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the National Prosecution Authority: the absence of a correctional supervision officer, the ongoing compilation of a psycho-legal report requested by Tshabalala, and the court’s need to consider the legal implications of the magistrate’s recusal. A ruling on these issues is expected on October 9.
Local resident Willem Janson, who first reported the fraud allegations after the Tshabalalas purchased a majority stake in the lodge in 2018, expressed frustration. “We have been battling for seven years with this. We built the lodge brick by brick over three decades only to become victims of a fraudster,” he said.
Janson described the ongoing court delays as “an absolute farce” and lamented the lodge’s decline since the Tshabalalas’ involvement. Once a bustling venue with 120 rooms, conference facilities, and pools, the lodge is now under business rescue, and many employees have lost their jobs.
