By Marcus Moloko
Flamboyant businessman and taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni has emerged as a recurring figure in testimony before the Madlanga Commission, where evidence has traversed alleged police information leaks, underworld rivalries and a past attempt on his life.
Sibanyoni, known as “Joe Ferrari” for his love of high-end sports cars, has also been linked, in testimony, to a turbulent relationship with notorious tender tycoon and alleged underworld figure, Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.
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During a failed bail application for Matlala last year, related to the botched hit on his former girlfriend Tebogo Thobejane, the court heard that Sibanyoni was shot outside Centurion Golf Estate in Pretoria in August 2022, in another botched hit, allegations that remain before the courts.
Sibanyoni’s rise is the stuff of township legend.
In 1985, Sibanyoni started as a taxi driver in the dusty streets of Kwaggafontein, Mpumalanga.
From a single minibus in the 1980s, he built a transport empire now estimated at R300 million.
Over time, he diversified into trucking, property, mining, IT and construction, cementing his reputation as both a risk-taker and empire builder.
Today, Sibanyoni is said to own about 400 taxis, generating an estimated R18 million in monthly revenue.
Sibanyoni, 60, is also closely linked to Umkhonto Wesizwe Party Member of Parliament and former SuperSport United communications director, David “Mazolman” Skosana.
The pair have recently submitted a joint R15 million bid to a South African Revenue Service (SARS)-appointed curator to acquire Royal AM.
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Sibanyoni’s influence stretches across Pretoria’s townships — Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Hammanskraal, and Atteridgeville — as well as the manicured suburbs of Mooikloof and Waterkloof, where he is regarded as both a power broker and a benefactor.
His lifestyle mirrors his success: multimillion-rand homes, a fleet of luxury vehicles and, reportedly, four Ferraris.
Two years ago, following the death of taxi boss Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi, Sibanyoni was elevated to president of the South African Local and Long-Distance Taxi and Bus association (SALLTBO), an ascent that further consolidated his standing in the industry.
“I was approached by the elders of the organisation to take over the baton,” he told SALLTBO members at a lavish gala dinner in Menlyn, east of Pretoria.
But it is his proximity to allegedly compromised law enforcement figures that has drawn the sharpest scrutiny.
Recent testimony at the Madlanga Commission focused on Sergeant Fannie Nkosi and his interactions with Sibanyoni and Matlala.
Evidence before the commission also revealed that on 5 December 2024, on the eve of a Special Task Force raid on Matlala’s home, Nkosi sent Sibanyoni a WhatsApp message reading “Today is Laduma,” accompanied by fist emojis.
Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson suggested the message foreshadowed the raid.
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But Nkosi denied this interpretation, as well as allegations that he unlawfully shared confidential police information. However, records presented to the commission show Nkosi visited Sibanyoni’s residence at least 12 times between March 2024 and September 2025, raising further questions about the nature of their relationship.
Sibanyoni has also featured in the testimony of suspended organised crime head Major-General Richard Shibiri, who described him as an influential industry figure but denied he was part of the alleged “Big Five” criminal network.
Shibiri acknowledged that Sibanyoni’s influence deepened following Msibi’s death, even as he sought to distance him from cartel leadership.
That distinction has been contested.
Under cross-examination, Shibiri was confronted with recorded evidence suggesting deeper knowledge of a network of powerful businessmen linked to organised crime and mining interests.
He later conceded that aspects of his testimony were untruthful, exposing him to potential perjury charges.
Shibiri told the commission he had withheld certain details out of fear for his life.
Further testimony by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi painted a broader picture.
Using so-called “spider diagrams,” Mkhwanazi alleged a web of influence linking business figures, politicians and senior police officers.
Sibanyoni’s name, he said, surfaced repeatedly across independent investigations, placing him at the centre of overlapping networks of power.
While not formally identified as part of the “Big Five,” Sibanyoni was described as a significant “person of interest”, an outlier whose reach, Mkhwanazi suggested, allowed him to operate beyond conventional policing constraints.
There have also been suggestions that Sibanyoni distanced himself from Msibi after learning of alleged cartel links, an apparent attempt to avoid direct association.
Even so, his proximity to figures under investigation has ensured his continued presence in the commission’s spotlight.
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Despite the swirl of allegations and insinuations, no conclusive evidence has been presented that Sibanyoni is part of a criminal cartel or that he knowingly benefited from leaked police intelligence.
The allegations remain, in the eyes of the law, unproven.
The self-made man, a devout member of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC), is also known to be a philanthropist who recently launched a foundation aimed at uplifting vulnerable communities.