The high-profile extortion and money laundering case involving controversial taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and his co-accused is back on the court roll, with the accused expected to present themselves before the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
The matter, which had been struck off the roll earlier this month following procedural disruptions, has now been formally reinstated by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which has moved to salvage the prosecution and proceed with the trial process.
The case centres on allegations that Sibanyoni and three others were involved in an extortion syndicate that allegedly demanded more than R2.2 million in “protection fees” from a businessman operating in Mpumalanga between 2022 and 2025. The accused also face charges of money laundering linked to the alleged proceeds of the scheme.
The reinstatement comes amid a widening institutional fallout between the NPA and the judiciary following controversial proceedings before Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni. The magistrate previously struck the matter from the roll after the State prosecutor failed to appear in court, an absence that triggered a chain of judicial actions, including a contempt ruling and the issuing of a warrant of arrest against the absent prosecutor.
In response, the NPA has not only appealed aspects of the magistrate’s ruling but has also escalated the matter to the Magistrates Commission, filing a formal complaint alleging concerns over judicial conduct, procedural fairness and the administration of justice.
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