Joe Sibanyoni and Co-accused Granted R70,000 Bail in Mpumalanga Extortion and Money Laundering Case

• The bail application of Joe Sibanyoni and his three co-accused was heard by the Delmas Magistrate's Court
• During his address to the court, defence lawyer Advocate Shaun Abrahams claimed that his clients' lives were in danger
• Sibanyoni told the media ahead of his re-enrollment that he wanted to preach the word of God during his appearance

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

MPUMALANGA – Joe Sibanyoni, Oupa Sindane, Mvimbi Masilela, and Philemon Msiza have been granted bail.

The four men appeared before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on 28 May 2026 for the continuation of their extortion and money laundering trial. They originally appeared before the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court on 18 May 2026, but the matter was struck off the roll after the State prosecutor failed to appear.

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Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni not only struck the matter off the roll but also found the prosecutor, Advocate Mkhuseli Ntaba, in contempt of court and issued a warrant of arrest for him.

Sibanyoni and co-accused granted bail

After a brief appearance, in which the State indicated that it would not oppose them being released, the men were granted R70,000 bail each. They will also have to report to a police station every second week. The specific police station was not named, as defence lawyer, Advocate Shaun Abrahams, claimed that his client’s lives were in danger and so they could not divulge which station they would report to. Advocate Abrahams is the lawyer for Sibanyoni and Sindane.

The men were also ordered not to interfere with any witnesses and not to commit any other offences while out on bail.

They will return to court on 1 September 2026 for the continuation of the case.

Sibanyoni wants to preach the word of God

On 28 May 2026, the four men handed themselves over to police after police issued J50 arrest warrants for them. They then made their way to court for their formal bail application.

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Speaking to the media before the case, Sibanyoni said that he was there to preach the word of God. He made a similar statement during his last appearance in Kwaggafontein as well.

What you need to know about the Sibanyoni case

• Prominent Mpumalanga taxi boss, Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni, was arrested by the Special Task Force alongside two others.
• Sibanyoni’s extortion and money laundering case was struck off the roll after the prosecutor failed to appear in court.
• Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi has described the outcome of the Joe Sibanyoni bail application as an embarrassment to the criminal justice system.
• Advocate Mkhuseli Ntaba accused the court of violating his constitutional right after a warrant of arrest was issued for him.
• The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) filed a complaint against Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni, over her rulings in the case.
• The NPA confirmed that the matter against Sibanyoni and his co-accused was re-enrolled and would be heard before the Delmas Magistrate's Court.

Sibanyoni and Sindane party after the court's ruling

In a related article, Sibanyoni and Sindane were seen celebrating the magistrate's decision to strike the matter off the roll.

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Briefly News reported that the two prominent taxi bosses were seen dancing at some sort of party after they found that they were free men.

South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the situation surrounding the case and the pair's decision to celebrate the outcome.

Source: Briefly News