The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the withdrawal of an urgent court application brought by taxi tycoon Madoda Johannes Sibanyoni and his co-accused in an alleged extortion case.
This was revealed by NPA Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago in a statement released on Sunday May 31 2026.
The application, which was lodged before the Mbombela High Court in Mpumalanga, sought to stop the execution of warrants of arrest issued against the accused after prosecutors re-enrolled the criminal matter.
According to the NPA, attorneys representing Sibanyoni and his co-accused filed the urgent application on 27 May 2026 in a bid to interdict the execution of J50 warrants of arrest. The matter was initially set down to be heard at the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on 28 May 2026.
The legal challenge followed a decision by prosecutors to reinstate the criminal case after it was struck off the roll by the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court on 18 May 2026.
Prosecutors subsequently secured warrants of arrest for all the accused and instructed their legal representatives to ensure that they appeared in court when the matter was re-enrolled on 28 May.
In response, the accused launched urgent proceedings against the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), seeking to challenge both the execution of the warrants and the re-enrolment of the criminal case.
The matter was scheduled to be heard in the Mbombela High Court on 2 June 2026, but the NPA said the accused have since withdrawn their application.
The withdrawal effectively clears the way for the re-enrolled criminal proceedings and the execution of the warrants of arrest.
The prosecuting authority also revealed that the Magistrates Commission has confirmed that it is investigating a formal complaint lodged by the DPP against Chief Magistrate Tonjeni on 26 May 2026.
The NPA further said it is still awaiting written reasons from Chief Magistrate Tonjeni regarding the decision to strike the matter from the court roll. It is also waiting for a hearing date for its application for leave to appeal, which was filed on 22 May 2026.
National Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Andy Mothibi said the NPA remains committed to using all available legal avenues to defend the rule of law and ensure that those accused of criminal offences are held accountable.
“The NPA’s position is to use every legally permissible avenue to resist any litigation that seeks to militate against upholding of the rule of law and holding those accused of criminality accountable,” said Mothibi
