By Johnathan Paoli
The late taxi boss Jothan “Mswazi” Msibi’s links to Ekurhuleni have come under scrutiny, with evidence before the Madlanga Commission pointing to his contact with former city manager Imogen Mashazi and businessman Ze Nxumalo over a multimillion-rand transport tender.
Resuming proceedings on Monday, evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson examined WhatsApp messages extracted from Msibi’s cellphone, which appeared to reveal previously unknown connections between the late taxi boss and people involved in Ekurhuleni.
ALSO READ: SARS unveils Digital VAT Model to modernise tax administration
Chaskalson told the commission that Msibi had identified an Ekurhuleni contract for Nxumalo to pursue months before the tender was eventually awarded to Camp Rock Pty Ltd, a company linked to Msibi’s interests.
The tender involved the provision of a project management unit and technical services for Ekurhuleni’s integrated rapid public transport network.
According to Chaskalson, Msibi had identified Camp Rock as the intended beneficiary as early as April 2023.
On April 26, Msibi sent Nxumalo details of the proposed contract, including that it was funded by the national Department of Transport through Ekurhuleni and fell under the city’s Transport and Fleet Management department.
Msibi subsequently pressed Nxumalo for an update, asking: “Have you spoken to Jose, please, and the Ekurhuleni issue, please let me know.”
“Please give me until Tuesday, all will be well,” Nxumalo replied.
Chaskalson said Nxumalo later forwarded the tender advertisement to Msibi, asking: “This one isn’t a panel. Is it spoken for? I have two people asking.”
Nxumalo previously told the commission in an affidavit that he did not know who had originally sent the message and could not recall the circumstances in which it was forwarded to Msibi.
He said that, given Msibi’s role in the public transport industry and his own involvement in brokering taxi-industry transactions, he could have shared the tender to establish whether Msibi was interested.
However, Chaskalson questioned this explanation, noting that Msibi had already identified the specific contract as one he wanted Nxumalo to pursue.
The evidence showed Nxumalo continuing to monitor the tender.
In October 2023, he informed Msibi that the project management unit tender had been submitted to the Bid Evaluation Committee and that the department had confirmed it.
ALSO READ: Grabbers, eavesdropping tech link Msibi, Motsumi and Sergeant Nkosi
When the successful bidder was identified, it was Camp Rock, the company Msibi had nominated months earlier.
The commission then heard of another aspect of Msibi’s Ekurhuleni links — his contact with Mashazi, who was city manager at the time.
On September 23, 2023, while the tender was still pending, Steve Motsumi sent Msibi Mashazi’s contact details.
Two days later, Msibi called Mashazi. Chaskalson stressed, however, that the commission did not know what the conversation was about.
The commission also examined a separate WhatsApp exchange in which Nxumalo told Msibi that a person identified only as “she” had received €46,256.98, equivalent to just under R1 million at the prevailing exchange rate.
The commission cautioned against linking the payment to Mashazi.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo pointed out that although there had been communication between Msibi and Mashazi, “we have not established that the ‘she’ is her”.
Chaskalson agreed that there was currently no evidence establishing the identity of the recipient.
He said the commission would approach the South African Reserve Bank to determine whether banking records could shed light on the transaction.
The commission then turned to another relationship involving Msibi and businessman Suliman Carrim.
Chaskalson said the evidence appeared to point to a joint venture between Carrim’s Ziggy Investments and Transnational Coaches, which had business dealings with Msibi.
The relationship involved subsidised bus transport contracts in Gauteng and the North West, with messages indicating that Msibi was pursuing opportunities in the sector.
The commission heard that the joint venture had also made payments linked to Msibi.
One proof of payment showed R700,000 being paid from Transnational Coach Lines to taxi federation Santaco, while a message indicated that a further R300,000 was outstanding.
The explanation was that North West Transport Investments and North West Star, which were using buses rented from the Carrim-Ziggy Investments and Transnational Coaches joint venture, were in arrears.
A subsequent payment notification showed R1 million paid into Tucofin Pty Ltd, a company of which Msibi was a director at the time.
ALSO READ: March and March Movement leader hits back at Ramaphosa over foreign nationals comments
Chaskalson said the evidence pointed to a connection between Carrim’s business interests and Msibi that investigators had not previously identified.
The commission also heard WhatsApp exchanges between Msibi and a man identified as Shaun concerning an alleged dagga or cannabis-growing project at Jack Frost Pharmaceuticals, a factory in Germiston.
Chaskalson said the evidence appeared to suggest that the company was producing dagga before it was issued a licence in September 2022. The evidence, however, did not establish Msibi’s precise role in the project.
The commission adjourned for the day, with National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams expected to testify on Wednesday.
