Television star Somizi Mhlongo is reportedly facing renewed controversy after the sheriff was unable to trace his company, Search Light (Pty) Ltd, which has been accused of failing to pay former employees their salaries.
The matter allegedly stems from a 2022 labour dispute that ended with a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) ruling in favour of the workers, ordering the company to pay outstanding wages.
According to Sunday World, a return from the Randburg Magistrate’s Court confirmed that the sheriff made several unsuccessful attempts to enforce the court order.
The report stated that the enforcement could not proceed because “the respondent has no movable goods at the given address.”
The sheriff visited the company’s former Sandton offices on three separate occasions — 22, 23 and 29 September — but each visit confirmed that the premises were empty.
On 22 September, staff members reportedly informed the sheriff that they were now working remotely.
When the sheriff returned the following day, the office doors were locked. By 29 September, a sign had been placed on the door indicating that the office had been vacated.
The court order authorises the sheriff to seize and sell movable assets at public auction to recover R165,402.62 plus interest, representing unpaid salaries for April, May and June.
The legal action follows claims by several former employees who allege that they were dismissed without warning or a disciplinary hearing earlier this year.
Hotellica union representative Thabiso Putswe said the union had been assisting the affected workers and was now exploring other options to recover the money owed.
“We later received information that they now work from home,” Putswe told Sunday World.
He added that the union believes Search Light may still have an operational office at the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg and that it intends to pursue the attachment of any assets found there.
Company records list Mhlongo and Lindo Maleho as directors of Search Light, which operates in the cleaning services sector.
However, Mhlongo has previously denied any involvement with the company. In July, he addressed the allegations on Instagram, writing, “I just found out I own a company I never had. Mzansi for sho.”
When contacted for comment regarding the most recent developments, Mhlongo did not respond by the time of publication.
