The extortion case against taxi tycoon and socialite Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, 60, has been struck off the roll.
Sibanyoni appeared at Kwaggafontein Magistrates Court alongside his co-accused Bafana “King of the Sky” Sindane, a flamboyant figure known for his luxury lifestyle, flashy fashion, and love for expensive cars.
The other two co-accused in the matter, relating to an extortion case involving a mining mogul, are Phillmon Makhaya Msiza and Mvimba Daniel Masilela.
The magistrate ruled that the four men, accused of extorting a Mpumalanga mining mogul of R2.2-million, were free to go home after the prosecutor was a no-show.
The magistrate also ruled that the prosecutor was in contempt of court.
After the judgment, the four men danced and sang songs outside court surrounded by a large crowd of people.
After the singing and dancing, the four were whisked away by a convoy of cars while some of their security detail ran behind the convoy on foot.
Earlier, dramatic scenes unfolded in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday when lawyers representing the influential taxi boss Sibanyoni called for the extortion and money laundering case against him to be struck off the roll and for the state prosecutor to be jailed for contempt of court.
The matter, involving Sibanyoni and his co-accused, was delayed for nearly three hours despite a court order issued on Friday directing all parties to be present in court at 9am.
Advocate Shaun Abrahams, instructed by attorney Mphoke Magane, told the court that the prosecutor could not initially be found when the court expected proceedings to begin.
Abrahams later alleged that the prosecutor had been seen in his office having lunch while the accused remained waiting in custody and legal teams sat idle inside court.
Authority and dignity of court
The courtroom battle immediately shifted from the extortion allegations facing the accused to a fierce legal showdown over the authority and dignity of the court itself.
Abrahams informed the magistrate that the defence intended to make three separate legal submissions.
The first was for the prosecutor to be held in contempt for allegedly failing to comply with Friday’s directive ordering all parties to court at 9am.
This was despite the prosecutor previously informing the court that he had other matters scheduled hundreds of kilometres away in Mbombela on Monday morning.
However, the magistrate had nevertheless instructed everyone to appear in Kwaggafontein at the specified time.
The second application was for the matter to be struck off the roll entirely due to what the defence described as the State’s conduct.
The third, should the application fail, is for the accused to be granted bail.
“As the Constitution commands, orders are decisions issued by the court that bind all persons to whom and organs of state to which they apply,” Abrahams argued before the court.
“No person or organ of state may interfere in any manner in the function of courts.”
Duty to protect constitutional rights
Abrahams said disregard for court orders undermined the justice system itself.
“It follows from this that disobedience towards court orders or decisions risks rendering our courts impotent and judicial authority a mere mockery,” he said.
The former national director of public prosecutions further argued that the court had a duty to protect the constitutional rights of the accused, regardless of the seriousness of the allegations they face.
“Having regard to the conduct of the State and the learned prosecutor in these circumstances, Your Worship must give effect to the authority of the court. Your Worship must uphold the rule of law and constitutional values,” he submitted.
“We implore the court to find the learned prosecutor guilty of contempt of court and impose on him such a suitable sentence as this court is minded to impose, be it direct imprisonment or a fine.”
“A strong message needs to be sent out that such conduct cannot be condoned.”
Possible disciplinary action
Abrahams also requested that the prosecutor’s conduct be referred to the Legal Practice Council and the National Director of Public Prosecutions for possible disciplinary action.
“Your Worship has the discretion to determine what is before the court… Equally so, the state’s remiss, the state’s disinterest; we submit it would be appropriate for Your Worship to strike this matter from the court’s roll,” he said.
Sibanyoni and his co-accused face charges of extortion and money laundering linked to allegations that they forced a businessman to pay more than R2.2-million in “protection fees” between 2022 and 2025 while threatening to shut down his business operations.
The case has attracted national attention because of Sibanyoni’s repeated mention during the Madlanga commission hearings into alleged organised crime networks and possible links between taxi figures and law enforcement officials.
- This story has been updated
- The extortion case against taxi tycoon Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and three co-accused was struck off the roll after the state prosecutor failed to appear in court, leading to a contempt of court ruling against the prosecutor.
- Sibanyoni, known for his flamboyant lifestyle, and co-accused Bafana Sindane, Phillmon Makhaya Msiza, and Mvimba Daniel Masilela, were accused of extorting a Mpumalanga mining mogul of R2.2 million in “protection fees” between 2022 and 2025.
- The defence, led by Advocate Shaun Abrahams, called for the prosecutor to be jailed for contempt and the case struck off due to the prosecution’s failure to comply with a court order to appear on time.
- After the case was dismissed, the accused celebrated outside court before leaving in convoy, while the court proceedings highlighted issues of respect for judicial authority and adherence to court orders.
- The case has drawn national attention given Sibanyoni’s links to organised crime networks and possible connections between taxi operators and law enforcement as discussed in the Madlanga Commission hearings.
After the judgment, the four men danced and sang songs outside court surrounded by a large crowd of people.
After the singing and dancing, the four were whisked away by a convoy of cars while some of their security detail ran behind the convoy on foot.
Earlier, dramatic scenes unfolded in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court on
Advocate
Abrahams later alleged that the prosecutor had been seen in his office having lunch while the accused remained waiting in custody and legal teams sat idle inside court.
Abrahams informed the magistrate that the defence intended to make three separate legal submissions.
However, the magistrate had nevertheless instructed everyone to appear in Kwaggafontein at the specified time.
“As the Constitution commands, orders are decisions issued by the court that bind all persons to whom and organs of state to which they apply,” Abrahams argued before the court.
“No person or organ of state may interfere in any manner in the function of courts.”
Abrahams said disregard for court orders undermined the justice system itself.
“It follows from this that disobedience towards court orders or decisions risks rendering our courts impotent and judicial authority a mere mockery,” he said.
“
“We implore the court to find the learned prosecutor guilty of contempt of court and impose on him such a suitable sentence as this court is minded to impose, be it direct imprisonment or a fine.”
“A strong message needs to be sent out that such conduct cannot be condoned.”
Abrahams also requested that the prosecutor’s conduct be referred to the Legal Practice Council and the National Director of Public Prosecutions for possible disciplinary action.
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