Joe Sibanyoni extortion case: Investigator appointed to probe former magistrate

An investigator has been appointed to investigate a complaint against former magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni, whostruck off the rolla case against taxi bossJoe “Ferrari” Sibanyoniand co-accused at Kwaggafontein magistrate’s court. The matter has since been enrolled at another court. The Magistrates Commission confirmed to Sowetan that the ethics committee considered the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) complaint against Tonjeni in their sitting on June 15, and resolved to investigate.

“[It] approved the recommendation and an investigator has been appointed. A report is expected in mid-August. “The ethics committee will thereafter consider the report and make its recommendations to the Magistrates Commission,” said Justice Finger, secretary of the commission.

The prosecuting body wants the commission to probe her use of language, which they said lacked court decorum. Kaizer Kganyago, NPA spokesperson, said at the time: “We have indicated to the Magistrates Commission that we are not happy with the conduct of the magistrate. Among issues is the language she used and the procedural matter of how she became the person who called the case and presided over it, which is something that should not have been done.” Sibanyoni, Bafana Sindane, Mvimbi Masilela and Philemon Msiza are accused of extorting R2m from businessmanThomas Ntulibetween 2022 and 2025.

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The money is alleged to have been a protection fee to allow him to operate his mine in Kwaggafontein. We are doing internal investigations around all the circumstances. We don’t want a situation where we don’t look at everything and they come back to bite us Sibanyoni, Msiza and Masilela were arrested on May 12 and made their first appearance the next day at the Kwaggafontein magistrate’s court in Mpumalanga, where they were formally charged with extortion and money laundering.

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