Taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni told the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday he was not interested when a police report linked his nephew to a group accused of multiple murders.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sibanyoni told the commission under oath that he had never taken part in any unlawful activity.
The report was an internal SAPS document. Sibanyoni received it on WhatsApp from his associate, Mpumalanga taxi boss Oupa “Bafana” Sindane.
Sibanyoni said he did not know how Sindane got it. He did not ask.
Evidence leader Adv Matthew Chaskalson took Sibanyoni to messages he sent Sindane on 2 September 2024 at 7:54am.
The first listed five names: Mandla, Norman, Mshinga, Trinity and Surprise.
The second said Mandla had been shot in the hand, the neck and the head, “but none near the bones so he’s okay”.
The third read “Surprise ushonile” (Surprise is dead). Chaskalson said it was followed by ten crying emojis.
Sibanyoni said his niece forwarded the messages to him. He said Mandla Mtsweni is his nephew.
“Those were the breaking news on the day. I was just forwarding it to him, letting him know that one of my family members was involved in a shooting incident,” said Sibanyoni.
He said he had seen a video of the scene.
“I’ve seen the police vehicle, I’ve seen Mandla’s car, I’ve seen the police approaching them. From there, there was a shooting,” he said.
Four days later, Sindane sent Sibanyoni an internal police report on the incident.
It says police carried out an intelligence-led operation in Kwaggafontein, Mpumalanga, at about 4am on 2 September 2024. It targeted a group known as Kwagga 20.
According to the report, the group is involved in extortion, serial killings, construction mafias, illegal firearms and taxi-related killings around KwaMhlanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.
It names the dead man as Surprise Ngodela. Mandla Mtsweni is among the suspects named.
Sibanyoni confirmed that a red Audi A3 recovered by police was Mandla’s.
The report lists murder cases at police stations including Tweefontein, Bronkhorstspruit, Verena and KwaMhlanga.
Chaskalson said the group, “including your nephew”, was wanted for more than 20 murders according to the report.
Sibanyoni said he was not interested in the rest of the report.
“Other matters I was not interested in. It mentions Mandla, yes. But the other matters, as to the 14 murders, I was not interested,” he said.
“It’s a matter of Kwagga 20. And Mandla is my nephew. How you draw me closer, more than Mandla being my nephew, I cannot understand,” fumed Sibanyoni.
Asked again whether he was interested that his nephew was a suspect in more than 20 murders, he said: “No. Which matter I take to be of interest to me is for me to decide. If I didn’t make a follow-up on this matter, I didn’t,” he said.
Chaskalson told him: “I find it unbelievable that you were not interested in the information contained here, as it relates at least to your nephew. It’s impossible that you wouldn’t be interested in that.”
“I don’t have a comment,” Sibanyoni replied.
Earlier, Sibanyoni said he had only heard the name Kwagga 20 and was not familiar with the group. He said he was “not at all” aware of extortion or taxi killings in the area.
Later, he said he had heard about the group since around 2020.
“It’s a well-known thing. It’s the normal course when you live in the area. Those are the gossips that are going around,” he said.
He said he and Sindane had talked about the group.
“There is this group that is alleged to be doing this and this at home, and people are not feeling well at home about these things. It’s a normal talk that we had,” he said.
He said he felt “obvious disapproval”. Sibanyoni said he raised the allegations with Mandla after the shooting.
“He declined all this,” he said.
He said Mandla told him they had been coming from a tavern and were shot at an intersection.
Sibanyoni said he advised his nephew to go to the police to clear his name, and offered to take him.
“Nothing happened,” he said.
He said Mandla has not been arrested and is not on the run.
He said he later offered to bring Mandla in to the Middelburg station commander. The offer was never taken up.
“They know my numbers. If they need that assistance, I think they’ll call me,” he said.
Sibanyoni said a Mr Moyana provides him with “extra security”.
On Monday, the commission heard that Moyana received internal police reports from Sindane. It also heard that Moyana sent Sindane a sworn EMPD statement within two days of it being signed.
Sibanyoni said Sindane began as his driver. The two are now associates in the taxi business.
“They call him DP because of his proximity to me, but not in an official status,” he said.
He said he is president of the South African Local and Long Distance Taxi Organisation.
The hearing continues.
