Taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibonyoni spent all of Tuesday in the witness chair at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, fighting to defend a lucrative road tender deal that prosecutors say was built on extortion.
Sibonyoni, a powerful figure in the Mpumalanga taxi industry, was recalled for a second day as evidence leaders zeroed in on his business interests around the R572 Moloto Road upgrade through Ekukhanyeni.
At the heart of Tuesday’s questioning was a sworn statement by mining businessman Tengane Ntuli, who alleges that Sibonyoni and his associate, taxi operator Bafana Sindane, forced him to pay protection fees to secure work on the tender.
Sibonyoni denied the allegation outright, portraying the arrangement as a legitimate local empowerment partnership.
He told the Commission he has been a “Kwaggafontein person” since the age of five when evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson asked him to clarify whether he was from Pretoria or Kwaggafontein.
According to Sibonyoni, Ntuli held mining rights at a quarry, and the two men met to discuss “local content” – the regulation that requires 30% of a state contract to go to local businesses. Ntuli, who is based in Middelburg, needed a local partner to qualify.
“We started doing business,” Sibonyoni said. He claimed he injected R900,000 as an investment into the partnership.
Chaskalson pressed him on the flow of money, the structure of the deal, and whether the main contractor knew about it. Sibonyoni grew visibly agitated.
“For us unpacking it bit by bit, it’s a matter that does not make me feel comfortable, because it is a very serious offence. It’s a very serious case that sits in Delmas,” he said.
“If Mr Chaskalson is pushing this matter, that it must be heard here, it prejudices my rights. Why do we do that? He must just go straight to the matter. Like I have said: I know Mr Ntuli; he came to my house, and we started doing business. As to the merits, can we allow the Delmas court to do that?”
Sibonyoni is facing extortion charges in Delmas linked to Ntuli’s complaint. He argued that dissecting the merits at the Commission would prejudice his criminal trial.
But the Commission continued. Sibonyoni explained that the initial understanding was a 50-50 profit split, but he later accepted 40% while Ntuli took 60% because Ntuli had more experience running the quarry.
“The understanding was him and me; we were of a different age – 60 plus – therefore, when we are talking to each other, it’s not a matter of us bluffing or fooling each other. It’s a matter that adults are talking, adults are agreeing on the matter,” he said.
Pressed on how the 30% local content was actually composed, he said:
“From there, Mr Ntuli will be to supply materials from the quarry based on my involvement for him to get the local content. As he does that business, we go to profits. On the profits, because he is the one who is running that quarry, we ended up saying he gets 60% because you are directly involved running the quarry, give me 40% of that.”
He added: “All those things combined, they form that 30%. So, Ntuli and I come with the supply of that precious stone.”
Sibonyoni insisted other local contractors providing equipment and labour made up the rest of the 30% quota, and that his partnership with Ntuli related only to quarry material supply. He said a Project Liaison Officer [PLO] facilitated communications with the main contractor.
The hearing took a darker turn when Chaskalson confronted Sibonyoni with a text message containing five names: Mandla, Norman, Mshinga, Trinity, and Suprice.
Sibonyoni said he recognised two – one was his nephew and the other the son of a taxi associate.
Evidence leaders told the Commission the names belonged to victims of a shooting, and questioned Sibonyoni about construction mafia activity and taxi-related violence.
Sibonyoni denied any knowledge. Commissioners openly expressed doubt at his answer, noting his stature in the taxi industry.
On Monday, the Commission was shown WhatsApp messages which evidence leaders argued pointed to a protection racket. Tuesday’s session sought to connect those messages to the tender.
The Commission, chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is investigating criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.
In a separate development on Tuesday, the Commission confirmed it had received a letter from an informant whose identity was disclosed during Monday’s public hearings.
The witness, who provided sensitive information to the Political Killings Task Team linking alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to serious crimes, is demanding protection guarantees by 1pm on Tuesday.
“Our client further instructs us that, following the evidence led before the Commission, he became aware of threats directed at him or persons associated with him,” his lawyers wrote, saying the disclosure had exposed him and others involved in intelligence operations.
Sibonyoni is expected to continue under cross-examination on Wednesday.
