Taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni is scheduled to return to the Madlanga Commission, where he is expected to face questions about his alleged extortion ring.
Evidence leaders presented WhatsApp chats between Sibanyoni and fellow industry operative Bafana Sindane, who has cited illness as the reason for his failure to testify.
The conversations show the two allegedly using threats of violence to demand payments from various contractors, amounting to hundreds of millions of rands.
Evidence Leader Mathew Chasckolson read several messages that appeared to show the two taxi bosses forcefully demanding payments from contractors and threatening violence in the event of defaults.
“We see in the chats that, when he defaults on payments, he gets messages from Mr Sindane complaining about his default and threatening to stop the operation. Now, we will hear hopefully from Mr Sindane about what his explanation for these chats is. And hopefully tomorrow Mr Sibanyoni will tell us what the relationship between him and Dr Ntuli is,” said Chasckolson, referring to one of the texts.
Sindane’s lawyers insist that he is unwell and in spiritual seclusion, and is therefore unable to appear before the commission.
Chasckolson argued that, in the absence of an explanation, the two should be regarded as having extorted contractors.
“But what is a cause of considerable concern for me is that there is a threat to stop the operation. And even if there is some bona fide commercial basis to the relationship between Mr Sindane and Mr Sibanyoni on one side and Dr Ntuli on the other, one doesn’t enforce bona fide commercial relationships by apparently threatening violence to stop an ongoing operation. That is an issue on which I hope to get some sort of answer from Mr Sibanyoni tomorrow. And if Mr Sindane ever deigns to come to the Commission, we would want him to give us an answer too. This is one example,” said the Evidence Leader.
“LOL, I need a meeting. I have a 500 million deal for Mulotto Road. Underneath, the director who got the contract wants to meet up with you.
“And then, the critical message over the page on 979. He used to report at the farm. And we know what the farm is, according to Mr Sibanyoni.
“It’s Mr Msibi’s property. He used to report at the farm for all his Sosanguwe projects. But he now knows there’s a new sheriff in town.
“So what we infer from this, and hopefully Mr Sibanyoni can set us straight tomorrow, is that there is a contractor who used to pay protection money to Mr MCB, but he’s now heard that there’s a new sheriff in town, and he now approaches Mr Sibanyoni,” Chasckolson said, reading the texts into the record.
The evidence leader’s interpretation suggested that Sibanyoni may have taken over from Msibi as the leader of the cartel now known as the Big Five.