Magistrate who freed Joe Sibanyoni retires
Chief Magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni has quietly stepped down days after a complaint was filed against her for striking the Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni case off the roll, meaning she may never face disciplinary action.
Tonjeni retired on Friday, 29 May 2026, and reportedly celebrated with a farewell party at a three-star wildlife resort between Mbombela and White River.
Just weeks earlier, on 15 and 18 May, she struck the high-profile extortion and money laundering case against taxi boss Sibanyoni and his co-accused from the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court because prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba failed to appear. The accused walked free immediately.
The Magistrates Commission received a complaint over her conduct. But because Tonjeni has now retired, the commission has no disciplinary jurisdiction over her, legal sources confirm.
The NPA has since re-enrolled the case in Delmas. Sibanyoni and three co-accused were re-arrested and are out on R70,000 bail each. The matter continues on 1 September.
The magistrate, however, is gone and may never face disciplinary action.
