South African Jazz Songstress Zahara Faces Arrest

Of late, she has been making all sorts of headlines for the wrong reasons. Afro-soul singer Zahara born Bulelwa Mkutukana could face jail time after she skipped her court session.

However, this is not the first the award-winning singer has missed court sessions. In her recent no-show, the court decided to issue out a warrant of arrest. The warrant was issued out on Friday by the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

The singer is facing several charges concerning tax invasion. Court papers have it that the singer failed to declare and submit her tax returns.

This year, she was charged by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for contravening South African tax laws for failing to submit her 2017 and 2018 to the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

Zahara once appeared in the court last year, but the matter beforehand was postponed to the previous week Friday.

However, instead of showing up for a trial, the singer ghosted the public prosecutors. Little is known when the trial will be given that a warrant of arrest has been issued out.

Zahara cocked a snook at the court when she failed to appear. The court indicated that she didn’t communicate the reason behind her failure to appear before the courts.

However, in the wake of that incident, a warrant of arrest was issued. Well, the warranty has leverage up until Wednesday, October 27.

Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane did confirm that a warrant of arrest has been issued against Zahara.

“We can confirm that a warrant of arrest has been issued for Bulelwa “Zahara” Mtukukana for her failure to appear in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge on her charge of failing to submit her tax returns. But it was held over until Wednesday, October 27,” she said.

However, the arrest warrant comes barely a month after she paid an admission of guilt fine of R2 000 after failing to submit her company Zahara Army’s income tax returns after pleading guilty to the charges.

It was established that the NPA charged her in her capacity as the companies director. Zahara Army Projects (Pty) Ltd failed to submit company tax returns for 2017 and 2018.