Case against taxi tycoon Joe Sibanyoni re‑enrolled after prosecutor no‑show

Mpumalanga – Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni, also known as “Ferrari”, and his three co-accused are expected to appear in the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in an extortion case involving alleged protection-fee payments exceeding R2 million from a local mining entrepreneur.

The matter returns to court after it was previously struck off the roll by Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni when state prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba failed to appear in court.

JUST IN: Today #NPA Head Adv Andy Mothibi says the prosecutor involved in the #JoeSibanyoni matter is doing ok. His suspension will most likely be lifted, awaiting a report and if it does indeed confirm what he said, Adv Mothibi will decide.

Adv Mothibi confirms that… https://t.co/1GuexlcZyd pic.twitter.com/JsPbf7QQvn

— Heidi Giokos (@HeidiGiokos) May 27, 2026

Tonjeni also issued a warrant for Ntaba’s arrest and found him guilty of contempt of court, prompting strong criticism from the National Prosecuting Authority.

According to IOL, NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the authority believes the magistrate misapplied the law and has filed appeals against the contempt ruling and arrest warrant.

[WATCH] The case against Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni and his co accused is set to be re-enrolled tomorrow. The case was struck off the roll last week in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court because the state prosecutor did not show up. Sibanyoni and his… pic.twitter.com/i9vpJBzLoQ

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 27, 2026

The NPA has also lodged a formal complaint against Tonjeni with the Magistrates Commission over how the proceedings were handled.

“The formal complaint is premised on serious concerns that the NPA has in the manner in which she conducted the court proceedings on May 15 and 18 2026 that culminated in the two orders that she granted,” the report quoted Kganyago as saying.