Vicki Momberg

RANDBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 28: Convicted racist Vicki Momberg during sentencing at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on March 28, 2018 in Randburg, South Africa. Photo – Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Simphiwe Nkwali)

Vicki Momberg arrested: What happens next for the convicted racist?

A whirlwind few days for Vicki Momberg has resulted in her arrest, and the future looks bleak for South Africa’s viral racist. Here’s what we know so far.

Vicki Momberg

RANDBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – MARCH 28: Convicted racist Vicki Momberg during sentencing at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on March 28, 2018 in Randburg, South Africa. Photo – Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Simphiwe Nkwali)

It’s been a week of high drama for Vicki Momberg, which has culminated in her arrest at the Dougsdale Police Station in Gauteng. The infamous public figure was accused of “going into hiding” after skipping a court appearance in August, but it now seems like she’s going to comply with authorities.

Momberg, as you’re probably well aware by now, became the first South African to be jailed for racism when she was found guilty on crimen injuria charges a few years ago. She served four months in prison, but was released early following various appeals and reviews. Her freedom may not stay in tact for long, though.

So now the police have Vicki Momberg in custody, where exactly do we go from here? We’ve got the details:

Vicki Momberg arrested – what happens next?

NPA Spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane had previously revealed that, should her case in the Supreme Court of Appeal fail to take place, her then-mandatory appearance in Randburg would serve to start her sentence again. That means Momberg, in a worst-case scenario, could face 20 more months behind bars at some stage. Her failure to have her conviction quashed has put her on seriously-shaky legal ground.

She was given a deadline of 1 August to file an appeal to the SCA. It never materialised, but Momberg has now claimed that she submitted the documents 11 days later, complete with a list of mitigating circumstances. However, her decision to come forward – just days after police admitted they were “searching round the clock” to find her – may have been too late.

Additional charges could be added to her rap sheet

SAPS have confirmed that Momberg was re-arrested shortly after 13:00 on Wednesday. We understand that the convicted racist is challenging the legality of the warrant that was recently issued for her arrest. But she will now have to go through the Randburg Magistrate’s Court to prove her innocence – and the task is getting more daunting for the defendant:

As well as the potential return to jail for her crimes of crimen injuria and the defamation of character, Momberg could also face a contempt of court charge. The SCA will have to rule on whether they will accept her reasons for filing a late submission, otherwise, her decision to skip court in August will come back to haunt her.