Businessman Thami Ndlala was arrested outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Image credit
Police have arrested businessman and socialite Thami Ndlala outside the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of intimidation and extortion. With Thami Ndlala arrested on Monday, his bitter legal battle with model and former reality star Azul Blue Mbombo has taken a dramatic turn.
Ndlala was at the domestic court for a protection order hearing that Mbombo brought against him. According to the Mail and Guardian, police officers approached him just outside court 20. Ndlala reportedly tried to run, but officers caught him and placed him in a police vehicle.
According to Briefly News, the criminal charges stem from Mbombo’s allegations against him. Meanwhile, the court postponed the protection order hearing to December. Police have not yet said when Ndlala will appear in court on the criminal charges.
The arrest came shortly after Ndlala claimed on social media that the charges against him had been dropped.
Lawyer Chris Molefi, who represents the parties in the matter, said he has no instructions to speak to the media. He added that the parties will wait for an official public statement before taking further steps.
How Thami Ndlala arrested news follows a public feud
The dispute exploded into public view on 3 October. That day, Mbombo released a statement titled I Fear for My Life. In it, she accused Ndlala of months of death threats, verbal abuse and what she described as an orchestrated campaign of intimidation.
Mbombo also alleged that Ndlala hired people to intimidate her. According to Mbombo, threats against her child finally pushed her to speak out. She said she had opened a criminal case and had substantial evidence to support her claims. In addition, she obtained an interim protection order against him.
However, Mbombo stressed that she did not want a public fight or to damage his reputation. Instead, she said she simply wanted to protect herself and her loved ones. She also asked the media to respect the privacy of her child and family.
Ndlala hit back quickly. Through the Thami Ndlala Foundation, he denied all the allegations and called them unproven and misleading. He also questioned the protection order application. According to his foundation, the supporting material that the application refers to was missing from the documents he received.
Furthermore, Ndlala raised concerns about Tebogo Nokwane and other people close to Mbombo. He claimed that the public does not know the full history between them. He also alleged that Mbombo had previously asked his foundation for financial help after she became homeless.
On the same day, Ndlala obtained an urgent interim order from the Johannesburg High Court. The order told Mbombo to delete certain social media posts within 24 hours. It also barred her from publishing unproven claims of threats and intimidation against him. Ndlala is also reportedly suing Mbombo for defamation.
At the time, Gauteng police said they had made no arrests. They added that the intimidation case remained under investigation and would go to a senior prosecutor once complete.
This is not the first time Ndlala has faced the courts. In 2013, police arrested him and an alleged accomplice, Thabo Molapo, over a Range Rover and a BMW from a Benoni dealership. Police alleged that the pair used fraudulent documents to buy the vehicles. In 2021, the Hawks said Ndlala and a co accused were still due in court in connection with the matter.
Ironically, Ndlala has also stood on the other side of an extortion case. In 2014, he laid corruption charges against Hawks warrant officer Muzi Malinga and other officers involved in the 2013 search. According to the charge sheet, the officers tried to extort R100 000 from him. Malinga denied the allegations and claimed they were fabricated.
Ndlala is married to Metro FM presenter Lerato Kganyago. The couple wed in 2020. He is also the founder of the Two Ndlala Brothers group, which includes a luxury transport business, as well as the Joe Ndlala Foundation, named after his late father.
Meanwhile, commentary across social media platforms exploded after the news broke. Many users said they never expected the court visit to end in an arrest. Some said the arrest shows that no one is above the law. Others urged the public to let the court process run its course before drawing conclusions.