A dismissed Mpumalanga court interpreter, Timothy Sibuyi, finds himself behind bars after being re-arrested for contempt of court following his failure to appear before the Nelspruit regional court.
Sibuyi, 48, once a respected, jubilant and humorous interpreter at Mhala regional court in Thulamahashe, is accused of soliciting a bribe in exchange for arranging legal representation for the brother of a rape suspect in 2022.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) swooped in on Monday, arresting Sibuyi after he missed his scheduled court appearance on September 23.
This marked the latest twist in a case that began almost two years ago.
According to Hawks provincial spokesperson Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, Sibuyi approached the brother of the accused at Mhala magistrate’s court and offered to secure legal representation for the suspect.
At the time, the suspect did not have a state-appointed attorney.
“When the complainant offered him R1 000, he refused, stating that the money was too little and he demanded R2 500,” said Sekgotodi.
The money was allegedly deposited into Sibuyi’s Capitec bank account.
Family reports incident to police
What started as an under-the-table deal soon spiralled into a full-blown investigation when the family reported the incident to the police.
After learning that a case had been opened, Sibuyi allegedly attempted to repay R2 000 to the complainant’s mother, promising to settle the balance later.
The Hawks’ Nelspruit-based serious corruption investigation team detained him in September 2023 after his alleged attempts to repair the damage were unsuccessful.
Though released on R5 000 bail, Sibuyi’s repeated absence from court finally led to him being arrested again.
His bail has now been forfeited to the state, and he remains in custody until his next court appearance on October 15, where he faces both contempt of court and corruption charges.
“During an internal disciplinary hearing, Sibuyi was dismissed from the service. The case was transferred to the Nelspruit regional court,” she said.
“He appeared in court on several occasions until on September 7, 2024, whereby he sent a sick note.
“The case was postponed to September 23, but he did not attend court or send any notice.”
Investigating team praised
Hawks provincial head, Major-General Nicholas Gerber, praised the diligence of the investigation team, urging the public to report similar cases of corruption.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Gerber stated. “Corruption will not stop if we as citizens do not report and say enough is enough.”
The case bears striking similarities to a 2021 incident involving an interpreter in the Calcutta magistrate’s court in Mkhuhlu.
The accused, Zizwe Zitha, 43, was also arrested for bribery involving a legal representation scheme.
Both the Mhala magistrate’s court and the Calcutta magistrate’s operate in the Bushbuckridge local municipality.
While Zitha’s case is ongoing, he is set to return to the Nelspruit regional court on October 15, the same day as Sibuyi.
Gerber issued a warning to all public servants: “You are employed to serve your community, not to exploit people’s vulnerabilities for personal gain.”
