Overview
- The case that was struck from the roll after a prosecutor failed to appear was re‑enrolled and the four accused handed themselves in before Delmas Magistrate’s Court and were granted R70,000 bail each on Thursday with reporting and non‑interference conditions.
- Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni struck the matter off the roll on 18 May after prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba did not appear and then found him in contempt and authorised a warrant of arrest.
- The NPA responded by suspending Ntaba, appointing a senior‑counsel‑led team, filing for leave to appeal the contempt and warrant orders, and lodging a formal complaint about Tonjeni with the Magistrates Commission.
- Sibanyoni and Bafana Sindane filed urgent court papers seeking to have J50 arrest warrants declared irregular and to block the re‑enrolment while other legal challenges and the NPA’s appeal proceed.
- Prosecutors allege the four men forced a businessman to pay more than R2.2 million in protection fees from 2022–2025 and channelled the funds through multiple accounts, and the case has raised wider concerns about courtroom procedure, safety threats and the integrity of prosecutions.