Defence Lawyer Claims Security Guard Accidentally Shot Taxi Boss Sibanyoni in 2022 Ambush

• A defence lawyer challenged witness Bethwell Cele's account of a 2022 shooting at Centurion Golf Estate during cross-examination
• Cele testified that armed men in a BMW attacked taxi boss Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni before he returned fire with his own weapon
• The trial of alleged cartel boss Vusimusi 'Cat' Matlala and four co-accused includes 25 charges, among them attempted murder

JOHANNESBURG — A defence lawyer at the Johannesburg High Court put it to a key witness on Wednesday that his own gunfire may have struck taxi boss Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni during a 2022 ambush at Centurion Golf Estate, a claim the witness flatly rejected.

Advocate Nardus Grové posed the suggestion to Bethwell Cele during cross-examination in the ongoing trial of Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala, his wife Tsakane, Musa Kekana, Tiego Floyd Mabusela, and Nthabiseng Nzama. The five accused face 25 charges in total, including the attempted murder of Sibanyoni and actor Tebogo Thobejane.

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Cele rejects accidental shooting claim

Cele told the court that a group of men travelling in a BMW, armed with AK-47s, launched the attack on Sibanyoni. He said he discharged his firearm in response to the assault. When Grové put it to him that his rounds were responsible for hitting Sibanyoni, Cele refused to accept the proposition, arguing that a 9mm pistol was incapable of producing both entrance and exit wounds of the kind observed on the victim. Judge Cassim Moosa intervened at one point to seek direct clarification, asking Cele whether he had accidentally shot Sibanyoni. Cele answered with a single word: "No."

Fabrication allegations raised in court

Grové also challenged the reliability of Cele's original statement to investigators, suggesting it had been shaped by fear and by his professional connection to Sibanyoni rather than by the facts as they occurred. The lawyer implied Cele's account was constructed to shield himself from any legal exposure.

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Cele, who broke down in tears when he recalled the alleged hit, denied both suggestions. He told the court he was not directly employed by Sibanyoni, clarifying that his services were rendered through a third-party company. He further rejected the assertion that fear had influenced what he told authorities. The trial is scheduled to continue on Thursday, with further cross-examination expected.

View a tweet about the trial on X here:

Lawyer took pictures of the scene

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the legal proceedings concerning the Centurion Golf Estate murder trial, focusing on the dispute over crime scene photographs that halted the trial. The tension escalated as security guard Bethuel Mzamo Cele struggled under intense cross-examination, revealing the emotional toll of recounting a traumatic incident that has captured public attention due to its violent nature.

Source: Briefly News