The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Office for Ethics and Accountability (OEA) has confirmed that a senior advocate attached to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) in Johannesburg received payments from businessman Howard Mashaba, giving official confirmation to allegations first reported by African Times earlier this year.

In a letter dated 30 July 2026, the Special Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the OEA, Advocate Karen H. van Rensburg, informed the businessman that the office’s assessment had verified that R8,900 was paid into Absa and Nedbank bank accounts registered to, or linked with, Advocate Richard Chabalala.

“The OEA can confirm that the assessment of the available evidence has confirmed the allegation that an amount of R8,900 was paid into Absa and Nedbank accounts registered to, or linked with, Adv. Chabalala,” Van Rensburg wrote.

Van Rensburg further stated that the matter has been referred to the NPA’s Labour Relations Unit to institute disciplinary proceedings arising from the allegations.

She stressed, however, that the OEA’s mandate is limited to assessing ethical misconduct and does not extend to investigating criminal offences.

“The OEA does not investigate criminal offences,” she noted, adding that criminal investigations fall within the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Once the police investigation is completed, the National Prosecuting Authority will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.

The findings represent a significant development in a matter first brought to public attention by African Times in May 2026, when Mashaba alleged that Chabalala demanded a R400,000 bribe in exchange for withdrawing a fraud case against him.

The allegations stem from a broader dispute involving a fleet of buses purchased in 2019. Mashaba alleged that Chabalala demanded R250,000 to be paid into his mortgage bond account and a further R150,000 into his credit card account before he would formally withdraw the fraud case in court.

Chabalala is the prosecutor in a R6 million fraud case against Mashaba, which arose after his aunt, Constance Miyelani Mthombeni, laid criminal charges in 2019, alleging that her nephew had fraudulently used funds belonging to the family’s transport business.

According to Mashaba, Mthombeni withdrew the case in 2022 after their family dispute was resolved during a family meeting. Despite the withdrawal, Chabalala allegedly continued pursuing the prosecution and demanded payment in exchange for withdrawing the matter. Mashaba, who owns Xilumani Bus Services, which operates a fleet of buses in the Giyani area of Limpopo and Gauteng, alleges that he paid the money in order to obtain evidence of the alleged solicitation.

African Times previously reported that Mashaba lodged a formal complaint with the OEA in January 2026, accusing Chabalala of corruption, abuse of office and unethical conduct.

Responding to the complaint at the time, NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that the allegations had been received and were being processed through the appropriate internal channels. Chabalala denied the allegations, describing them as false and fabricated.

Importantly, Van Rensburg’s letter does not conclude that the payments constituted corruption or unlawful gratification, nor does it make any finding regarding criminal liability.

Instead, the letter confirms that payments into accounts registered to, or linked with, Chabalala were verified during the OEA’s assessment and that the matter has been referred for disciplinary proceedings. Any criminal determination will depend on the outcome of the SAPS investigation and the subsequent prosecutorial decision by the NPA.

Speaking to African Times on Monday, Mashaba welcomed the outcome of the ethics assessment, saying it had restored his confidence in the justice system.

“I’m very happy. I never believed that a prosecutor could ask a suspect for money. Now I’m happy because the NPA is doing its work. Since General Nhlanhla Nkhwanazi’s media briefing last year, the NPA has been doing good work, so I’m very, very happy.

“Let him answer for what he did. Prosecutors must simply do their work. When you are at work, don’t make it personal. Do your job properly. There is nothing wrong with doing your work, but some people make it personal so they can ask suspects for money, and that is not right,” he said.

African Times made several attempts to obtain comment from Advocate Chabalala before publication. He could not be reached despite repeated telephone calls by the time of publication.