By Johnathan Paoli
Taxi boss Madoda Johannes “Joe Ferrari” Sibanyoni has denied that money from Gubis85 Solutions was channelled to him through a multimillion-rand stokvel.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission on Monday, Sibanyoni said his dealings with the security company were legitimate and that businessman Calvin Mahlangu’s participation in the Shosholoza Stokvel was unrelated to Gubis85.
“I deny, categorically, that any entity of mine has been used as a conduit for funds derived from City of Tshwane or TMPD contracts,” Sibanyoni said.
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Gubis85 has featured prominently in evidence before the commission over a City of Tshwane security tender and allegedly irregular ad hoc security payments.
The commission has also heard evidence about suspended police officer Sgt Fannie Nkosi’s alleged involvement in efforts to help Gubis85 resolve payment issues with the Tshwane Metro Police Department.
Nkosi is currently in custody facing a separate criminal case involving charges including theft, money laundering, defeating the administration of justice and firearm-related offences. His bail application and a subsequent High Court appeal were rejected.
Sibanyoni denied having any financial interest in Gubis85, saying he was simply a client of the company.
He said he paid Gubis85 R145,000 a month for security services for about a year, including VAT, because of threats to his safety.
He also confirmed that Gubis85 gave him a Toyota Hilux Double Cab in 2021, which he said was a birthday gift and not a bribe or inducement.
The commission has heard that Sibanyoni’s sister was employed by Gubis85, but he said he was not involved in her financial affairs.
“My sister is an adult and a married woman. She does not report nor run her financial matters and arrangements through me. Her knowledge of Gubis85 would without question be based on the fact that we all come from the same village,” Sibanyoni said.
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Sibanyoni also rejected suggestions that visits to his Centurion Golf Estate home by police officers pointed to improper relationships.
“I emphasise, with clarity, that I have grown up with, known and associated with members of the South African Police Services. I have never associated with them for some improper motive or purpose,” he said.
He said access codes were issued to visitors because of security concerns following a number of deaths involving people he knew in the taxi industry.
Sibanyoni said the relationship between the Pretoria Mabopane Pietersburg Taxi Association and Gubis85 was “fully documented, above-board, properly invoiced”.
“The suggestion that this arrangement represents criminal conduct, whether extortion, facilitation of corruption or otherwise, is not merely speculative; it is directly contradicted by the comprehensive documentary record now placed before the Commission,” Sibanyoni said.
The commission also questioned him about the Shosholoza Stokvel, which he said operated in 2019 and again in 2025 with eight members, including himself and Mahlangu.
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Sibanyoni said members contributed during the year and later received about R4.5 million each from the accumulated funds.
He said Mahlangu joined the stokvel in his personal capacity and not on behalf of Gubis85.
“Calvin Mahlangu was a member of the Shosholoza Club in his personal capacity. His contributions to the stokvel account were made as a member, not as a conduit from Gubis85. Participating in a stokvel alongside Calvin Mahlangu does not create any impropriety,” he said.
Sibanyoni also rejected the commission’s description of transactions between Gubis85, Shosholoza and himself as a financial “pipeline”.
“The Commission frames these flows as a ‘pipeline’: Gubis85 to Shosholoza to Sibanyoni. This characterisation is wrong. These flows represent: member contributions to the stokvel (flowing in); year-end distributions to members of their own accumulated contributions (flowing out),” he said.
He disputed the commission’s interpretation of the stokvel’s bank statements, saying they did not prove unlawful conduct.
“I deny that the FNB bank statements of the Shosholoza Club, taken in isolation or in conjunction with any other exhibit… establish any unlawful conduct on my part or on the part of the association,” Sibanyoni said.
He said the transactions reflected the normal operation of a stokvel and criticised what he said was a lack of expert financial analysis identifying suspicious transactions.
“A cartel, criminal enterprise, or unlawful association does not operate pursuant to a formal, written, registered constitution that is capable of public inspection. The Shosholoza Constitution is evidence of legitimacy, not of wrongdoing,” he said.
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Sibanyoni also objected to the commission using cellphone evidence seized during criminal proceedings against him, saying 675 pages of private communications had been re-purposed for the inquiry.
He faces one count of extortion and two counts of money laundering in a separate criminal case involving allegations that more than R2.2 million in protection payments was extracted from a mining businessman.
Sibanyoni has denied the charges. The case is due back in the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on 20 October.
He has invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination in declining to answer some commission questions relating to the criminal proceedings.
The commission continues.
