CRICKET NEWS - Former Proteas cricketer Ntateko Ethy Mbhalati (43) has been convicted and sentenced by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on a charge of corruption linked to the 2015–2016 T20 Ram Slam match-fixing scandal.
The court handed Mbhalati a five-year prison sentence, wholly suspended for five years, provided he does not commit a similar offence during the suspension period.
His sentencing on Wednesday marks the fourth conviction in the high-profile investigation that has rocked South African cricket.
In 2016, Cricket South Africa’s Anti-Corruption Unit received a tip-off that a former national player had approached teammates and other players to participate in fixing T20 matches.
A preliminary probe revealed that at least six players had been approached by the former player and bookmakers from India. The case was escalated to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team on October 26, 2016.
Following extensive investigations, three players were arrested and convicted between 2018 and 2022.
Mbhalati, arrested in November 2024, faced several court appearances before his conviction. That same month, fellow former cricketers Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Thami Tsolekile were also arrested.
Their cases are ongoing, with the next court appearance scheduled for October.
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