Mpumalanga Chief Magistrate Retires Days After NPA’s Complaint Over Her Conduct in Sibanyoni Case
- Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni could avoid potential disciplinary action following a complaint laid against her
- The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) filed a complaint against her with the Magistrate’s Commission
- The magistrate made headlines after she struck the case against Joe Sibanyoni and his co-accused off the roll
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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 - Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni could escape any disciplinary action after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) filed a complaint against her with the Magistrate’s Commission.
The complaint was filed against the Mpumalanga Chief Magistrate over her conduct in the extortion case against Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni and three co-accused.
She struck the matter against Sibanyoni, Bafana Sindane, Mvimbi Masilela, and Philemon Msiza off the roll on 18 May 2026, after the State prosecutor failed to appear. Chief Magistrate Tonjeni also found Advocate Mkhuseli Ntaba guilty of contempt of court and issued a warrant for his arrest, something the NPA were concerned by.
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Why could Magistrate Tonjeni be safe from any disciplinary action?
While the NPA has filed leave to appeal some of the magistrate’s decisions and also filed a complaint against her, there is a chance she may not be punished.
According to the Sowetan, Tonjeni retired on Friday, 29 May 2026. Her farewell party was held at a three-star wildlife estate and family resort located between Mbombela and White River.
As a result of her retirement, the Magistrates Commission has no disciplinary jurisdiction over her since she has retired, according to Mbekezeli Benjamin, a researcher from Judge Matters.
"Regulation 26 of the 1994 regulations to the magistrate court allows the commission to appoint an investigator to conduct a preliminary investigation into the nature of the misconduct, and whether prima facie grounds of misconduct exist.
"The investigator will provide a report to the commission, which may only be noted but cannot be taken any further," he noted.
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 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.
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.
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Source: Briefly News
