The man accused of orchestrating a hit on his wife who was killed outside a Mpumalanga gym in 2024 has lost his court bid for bail after failing to prove the existence of his businesses.
Sifiso Sibanyoni, from Mbombela, failed to persuade the Mbombela high court to set aside the magistrate’s court’s July 2025 decision not to grant him bail for the murder of his estranged spouse Dr Nondumiso Nkosi-Sibanyoni. Nkosi-Sibanyoni, a medical doctor at Rob Ferreira Hospital, was killed outside a Virgin Active gym on November 20 2024.
Sibanyoni has been in custody since his arrest in July 2025 when his bail was denied.
Sibanyoni, 39, who faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and premeditated murder, approached the high court pleading that he needed to be out of jail to support his four children and to maintain his two businesses as a diesel supplier and running rental property. He claimed to earn R80,000 monthly from the two businesses and said that he needed the money to hire good lawyers for his case.
In her judgment, judge Lindiwe Vukeya concurred with the decision of the magistrate’s court that there was no evidence of Sibanyoni’s business. She further said the investigating officer, Const Sindisiwe Nyaka, would have verified and confirmed such information to the court if it was made available to her.
“The magistrate has not erred in his reasoning. The application was dealt with by way of filing an affidavit, which meant that the appellant [Sibanyoni] could not be cross-examined regarding the existence of these businesses and the potential loss he stood to suffer because of his continued incarceration,” read the judgment.
“Whether the businesses existed or not, it was not known to the magistrate. Moreover, whether they generated reasonable income as suggested was not tested in cross-examination. No bank statements were presented to the court and no documentary proof of their existence was made available to the court for perusal.
“I am therefore disinclined to agree with the appellant that the magistrate erred in this regard, as the appellant did not provide him with sufficient evidence to make that determination,” read the judgment.
Vukeya also agreed with the lower court that releasing Sibanyoni would be a threat to his own life as his previous court appearances often attracted crowds who would chant outside for him not be granted bail.
“It must be noted that this was not the main reason why the application was refused...The case was of national interest as according to the magistrate, even the proceedings were broadcasted,” said Vukeya.
According to the judgment, Nyaka was of the view that Sibanyoni would also intimidate or interfere with two witnesses who are the hitmen he allegedly hired to kill his 37-year-old wife.
According to the court document, Nkosi-Sibanyoni’s death occurred while the two were going through a divorce and Nyaka told the court that Nkosi-Sibanyoni had a protection order against Sibanyoni.
Nkosi-Sibanyoni was killed shortly after she had filed a notice of intention to defend the divorce action, demanding her 50% share of the estate. Nyaka previously told the court that Sibanyoni received over R1.5m in an insurance payout after Nkosi-Sibanyoni’s death.
Nyaka also said Sibanyoni had previously lost R70,000 after the hitmen he first hired withdrew and ran off with his money. He then approached the two men who have since turned state witnesses.
On November 20 2024, Sibanyoni allegedly left his vehicle and travelled with the hitmen to Nkosi-Sibanyoni’s residence to point her out. He allegedly informed them about her routine which involved leaving her house at 5am to go to gym before heading to work.
She was killed at about 5.20am at the parking lot of Virgin Active in Riverside.
Sibanyoni has maintained his innocence, claiming that he was asleep at his house with his girlfriend when the murder happened.
