Harare, Zimbabwe – The legal walls are closing in on Zimbabwean dancehall artist and social media firebrand Malloti, as the South African Police Service (SAPS) enters the international cooperation phase to secure her arrest.
The musician, known for her high-profile antics and digital spats, is now at the center of a cross-border legal battle involving charges of robbery with a firearm.
Speaking to the media, Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Captain F.C. Van Wyk confirmed that a warrant of arrest was issued at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. According to South African authorities, the suspect is identified in their system as Namatai Bhobho.
The charges stem from a 2017 incident in Rondebosch (Case CAS 78/11/2017). While the matter was temporarily struck off the court roll—a standard procedural move when a suspect vanishes—the docket has been revived and handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
“The DPP’s office will make arrangements for the accused to be traced and then to be extradited back to South Africa,” Captain Van Wyk stated.
A core point of intrigue in the ZiMetro News investigation is the discrepancy in naming. While South African warrants hunt for “Namatai Bhobho,” Zimbabwean state records and court proceedings in Harare identify the performer as Millicent Tsitsi Chimonyo.
SAPS has yet to publicly clarify if these are aliases for the same individual, but the extradition request specifically targets the persona linked to the Western Cape armed robbery.
Malloti is no stranger to the spotlight or the prisoner’s dock. Her time in Zimbabwe has been marked by frequent headlines:
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Legal Feuds: A scorched-earth legal battle with flamboyant cleric Passion Java that captivated social media.
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Substance Abuse Scandals: A recent front-page feature in H-Metro regarding the open consumption of the banned cough syrup, BronCleer.
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Local Courts: Appearances in Harare courts for unrelated matters where she was previously granted bail.
The Extradition Process
The matter has now officially shifted into the realm of international diplomacy and judicial cooperation. South Africa and Zimbabwe share long-standing extradition treaties designed for exactly this scenario.
For the process to move forward:
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The South African DPP must formally request the handover through diplomatic channels.
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Zimbabwean authorities must apprehend the suspect.
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A Zimbabwean magistrate will ultimately decide if the evidence warrants her being flown back to Cape Town to face the music.
As a figure whose celebrity has often intersected with the justice system, Malloti’s most difficult performance may yet take place inside a Western Cape courtroom.
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