A former court interpreter from the Mhala Magistrate's Court has been sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment after being convicted of corruption.
Timothy Sibuyi (49) was sentenced by the Commercial Crimes Court on 17 July 2026 following an investigation by the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Nelspruit.
According to the Hawks, the case dates back to 17 November 2023, when Sibuyi allegedly approached the brother of a man who had been arrested on a rape charge. He falsely claimed he could arrange a Legal Aid attorney and instructed the complainant to pay R2 500 as "cooldrink" money for the attorney instead of hiring private legal representation.
When the complainant initially ignored the request and blocked Sibuyi's number, Sibuyi allegedly contacted the accused in custody and instructed him to convince his brother to make the payment, claiming that failure to do so would result in the accused spending Christmas behind bars. The complainant subsequently deposited R2 500 into Sibuyi's bank account.
The matter was later reported to the Hawks, whose investigation led to the issuing of a warrant for Sibuyi's arrest. He was subsequently arrested, prosecuted and convicted.
Welcoming the sentence, the Hawks said the outcome demonstrates that corruption within the criminal justice system will not be tolerated. Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, said the Directorate remains committed to ensuring that individuals who abuse positions of trust for personal gain are brought to justice.