Smooth criminals! Mzansi celebs who broke the law in 2018

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity in Celebville but legal woes can certainly change the way stars are viewed by their fans. Some of South Africa’s biggest celebrities found themselves on the wrong side of the law in 2018.

Their charge sheets ranged from drinking and driving to domestic violence. One star was even accused of being involved in R1-million fraud! Some managed to get off with a slap on the wrist, but others still have a case pending.

Here are some of the Mzansi stars who made tabloid headlines for their blues with the men in blue

Andile Jali
Andile Jali’s fairy-tale love story with his wife Nonhle came to a crashing halt when he was arrested for assault. Police were called to the couple’s home in October after a heated argument ended with Andile allegedly choking Nonhle and slashing her car tyres.

He was charged with assault and malicious damage to property. He opened a case of common assault against his wife but later dropped the charge.

Bonang Matheba
In what must be one of the most shocking scandals of 2018, South Africa’s media darling Bonang Matheba found herself in trouble with Uncle Sam. The TV presenter was charged with several instances of tax evasion, for failing to file personal and business taxes between 2008 and 2017.

The 31-year-old went on to pay a R30 000 admission-of-guilt fine and the case was struck off the roll. “She is feeling good and is happy that the matter has been resolved and we can move forward. There seems to have been a miscommunication and things have been compiled and now we can move forward,” her management team told TshisaLIVE.

Moneoa
Singer Moneoa was reportedly arrested for driving under the influence in March. According to the Daily Sun, her breathalyser reading was 0,30ml – which is above the legal limit. She claimed the entire thing was blown out of proportion.

“It wasn’t necessarily an arrest, I was written up, yes. I went to the police station, did my paperwork and then they sent me home,” she told Drum magazine.

But it seems that does indeed count as an arrest, because the Daily Sun says she was released on R1 500 bail with a police spokesperson telling the paper, “the suspect was arrested in the early hours of the morning of Saturday 3 March”.
Moneoa believes the officer who nabbed her had an agenda. “They said I was driving under the influence but I feel like it was agenda, because the limit is 0,24 and I was on 0,26, so I feel like the police officer had an agenda. Also, because I was the only person he arrested that day, so it was probably planned, someone must have been behind it, I don’t know,” she told Drum.

Vusi Nova
Vusi Nova appeared in court in May for alleged fraud and money laundering amounting to R1 million. The afro pop star and his co-accused, Jonathan Searle, allegedly defrauded a Johannesburg couple of their hard-earned cash in a job scam. Jonathan reportedly offered the elderly couple top jobs at Safrasa that did not exist. Vusi’s signature was on the false employment contracts. The couple were told they also needed to pay R1,1 million for shares in the company. They did not receive any jobs. Vusi says he is innocent and is also a victim in the case.

“My company was used, this person that I trusted in my life used my company ID for fraud, and how I’m involved in that, the company is mine, so that’s what we’re tryna fight right now… for me, this is embarrassing… this guy literally forged my signature and we can categorically prove that, because we got someone to analyse it, you can just tell that that is not my signature…(sic)” he told ZAlebs

Big Zulu
Former Isibaya actor Big Zulu was arrested for domestic violence this year. The rapper allegedly attacked his girlfriend at their Newtown home. According to Sunday World, the 31-year-old allegedly grabbed her by the throat and threw her on the floor three times.

She told the paper it was not the first time he had acted aggressively towards her. “The problem started two weeks ago when I confronted him. He was sitting outside with his friends and two girls. I called him to the side and asked him who the girls were. That was not the first time [I found him hanging around with strange women]. I asked him because I needed to know why he keeps doing that and disregarding my feelings. He got aggressive, but that time he walked away,” she said.

Source: All4Women