Taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni and co-accused granted R70 000 bail
· Citizen
Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and his three co-accused have been granted bail by the Delmas Magistrate’s Court.
The state did not oppose their release, and the court ordered that they each pay R70 000 bail.
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Sibanyoni, Bafana Oupa Sindane, Phillmon Makhaya Msiza and Mvimba Daniel Masilela appeared in court on Thursday, facing charges of extortion and two counts of money laundering.
The state alleges that between 2022 and 2025, the four men forced a businessman operating in the Nkangala district to hand over more than R2.2 million in so-called “protection fees”.
Three of the men were arrested by law enforcement on 12 May, while Sindane, who allegedly attempted to evade arrest, later handed himself over to police on the Friday of that same week.
Matter struck off, then re-enrolled
Earlier bail proceedings in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga were thrown into chaos when the state prosecutor failed to appear. The matter was struck from the court roll as Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi joined the chorus of outrage over the fiasco.
Prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba was later suspended, and Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni, who also ordered Ntaba’s arrest for contempt of court, has been referred to the Magistrates Commission.
“The conduct displayed during proceedings raises serious institutional concerns relating to judicial decorum, procedural fairness and the proper administration of justice,” the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said of its complaint.
Ntaba claimed there had been threats on his life, while the NPA said he was safe and that it was still pursuing the case against the four.
The matter was re-enrolled on Wednesday, prompting a frantic bid to block the re-enrolment that continued until the court appearance on Thursday.
The matter was postponed to 1 September 2026.
Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa.