South African actor Skhumbuzo Mbatha, best known for playing Meneer Manaka on the popular SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam, was arrested for drunk driving in Johannesburg on Saturday, March 8, 2025. The arrest was confirmed by MDN News.
According to reports, the incident took place around 8:30 PM when officers from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) stopped Mbatha at a routine roadblock on Barry Hertzog Avenue and Napier Road in Parktown.
Authorities noticed that the actor, who was driving a white Nissan Navara, showed clear signs of intoxication, including the strong smell of alcohol on his breath.
A breathalyzer test confirmed that Mbatha’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit of 0.51 mg/l, leading officers to take a blood sample for further analysis, as per standard procedure.
He was then handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) at Parkwood police station, where he was officially charged with drunk driving.
Mbatha spent the night behind bars before being granted R1,500 bail on Sunday, March 9, 2025. He is now expected to appear in court to face the drunk driving charge.
This is not the first time Mbatha has made headlines for a brush with the law. In November 2020, he was wrongfully arrested after unknowingly giving a ride to a woman who had just vandalized her estranged husband’s car. He later shared his experience on social media, expressing his frustration over the ordeal.
