The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has suspended Palm Ridge senior prosecutor Advocate Richard Chabalala pending an internal investigation, following allegations that he demanded R400,000 from a Limpopo businessman to make a fraud case disappear.
The suspension marks a significant development in a case that has been under scrutiny after Howard Mashaba accused Chabalala of accepting a portion of the alleged bribe, saying it was a requirement to officially drop the case in court even though the complainant had dropped the case.
NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed the suspension to African Times News on Monday, September 22, but declined to provide details about the investigation.
“The NPA can confirm that Adv Chabalala has been suspended pending an internal investigation. Since this is a matter between employer and employee, we are not going to comment any further,” Kganyago said.
The NPA’s confirmation comes after African Times exposed electronic payments made by Mashaba to Chabalala, which the businessman said were part of the R400,000 the prosecutor demanded. Mashaba said he made the payments to gather evidence of fraud and corruption against Chabalala before reporting him to his employer, the NPA.
According to Mashaba, Chabalala demanded R250,000 to settle his bond, and a further R150,000 to settle credit accounts. Mashaba maintains that the payments were linked to a promise that the fraud case against him would be withdrawn.
The latest development is particularly significant because the NPA’s own Office for Ethics and Accountability (OEA) has previously confirmed that Mashaba paid money into bank accounts registered to, or linked with, Chabalala.
In a letter dated 30 July 2026, OEA head and Special Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Karen H. van Rensburg informed Mashaba that an assessment of available evidence had established that R8,900 was paid into Absa and Nedbank accounts registered to, or linked with, 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 confirmed that the matter had been referred to the NPA’s Labour Relations Unit for disciplinary action arising from the allegations.
However, the OEA drew a distinction between its assessment of alleged ethical misconduct and a criminal investigation.
“The OEA does not investigate criminal offences,” Van Rensburg stated, explaining that criminal investigations fall within the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Once a police investigation has been completed, the NPA would determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.
The R6 million fraud case
The allegations centre on a R6 million fraud case involving Mashaba and a family dispute over a fleet of buses purchased in 2019.
Mashaba’s aunt, Constance Miyelani Mthombeni, laid criminal charges against him in 2019, alleging that he had fraudulently used funds belonging to the family’s transport business.
Mashaba maintains that the dispute was subsequently resolved within the family and that Mthombeni withdrew the case in 2022 following a family meeting.
Despite the withdrawal, Mashaba alleges that the prosecution continued and that Chabalala subsequently demanded money from him in exchange for withdrawing the matter in court.
Mashaba, who owns four-star Xilumani Hotel and Xilumani Bus Services, which operates buses in the Giyani area of Limpopo and Gauteng, has said that he made payments as part of an effort to obtain evidence relating to the alleged solicitation.
African Times made repeated attempts to obtain comment from Chabalala before publication. He could not be reached despite several telephone calls, which he failed to answer or return.
