Inside Sibanyoni ‘extortion racket’

The veil was lifted this week on what the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) alleges are the sinister inner workings of a multimillion-rand extortion racket, allegedly run by one of South Africa’s most powerful and feared taxi moguls, Madoda Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni.

The case centres on a R2.2m “protection fee” allegedly squeezed from prominent mining executive Thomas Ntuli, who was involved in the R573 Moloto Road construction. It threatens to expose a shadowy syndicate known as the National Cartel Structure.

The Sunday Times can this week reveal details of the alleged protection fee plot, in which Ntuli was allegedly coerced into monthly payments ranging between R50,000 and R300,000.

The payments started in July 2021 after Sibanyoni’s syndicate learnt of Ntuli’s contract to supply aggregate stones in Sanral’s R3.7bn construction of the Moloto Road.

Sibanyoni’s co-accused are Bafana Kabini Sindane, Mvimbi Masilela and Makhaya Msiza.

The Sunday Times has seen bank payment records submitted to law enforcement dating from December 9 2022. The payments were made into Absa and FNB accounts belonging to Sibonyani’s company MJS & Sons.

The three suspects who are extorting money from me are working together, and I now fear for my life and my family

—  Thomas Ntuli, mining executive

A final payment of R50,000 was made into an FNB account on November 8 last year after Sibanyoni allegedly told Ntuli that the Absa account had been closed.

Five days later, on November 13, Ntuli opened a case of extortion with Middelburg police, saying he was living in fear.

“The three suspects who are extorting money from me are working together, and I now fear for my life and my family,” said Ntuli.

The Sunday Times understands that Ntuli provided authorities with a breakdown of payments made via bank transfers into MJS & Sons’ accounts, amounting to R2.1m, as well as R150,000 allegedly paid in cash in July 2021 and December 2022.

This contrasts with Sibanyoni’s claims that Ntuli borrowed R900,000 from him and that they were in constant communication over other business dealings.

“The complainant, Ntuli, who is known to me and is a business associate, has visited my residence on numerous occasions and had even borrowed R900,000 from me during the period 2022 to 2025, which he has since repaid. I last saw him at a funeral over two weeks ago,” said Sibanyoni.

But Ntuli told police he was informed in 2021 that in order to get the community involved in his project, he should meet with the KwaMhlanga business forum led by the four accused. According to Ntuli, he initially met Msiza, who introduced himself as the forum’s community liaison officer (CLO), and later introduced him to Masilela, its chair.

“Our meeting was scheduled for around June 2021 at KwaMhlanga at a place called Etshanini, which is a drinking spot. They further told me that we needed to go to Pretoria, where they [would] introduce me to their boss, Sibanyoni,” Ntuli said.

“I respectfully submit that the whole process from the CLO Msiza through to Sibanyoni was a cartel process of extortion through the name of the business forum for their own personal benefit.”

Ntuli, director of Tangane Mining, told authorities the ordeal began when his company secured a contract to supply aggregate stones for the critical Sanral road project. He was allegedly lured into a “cartel process” through Msiza.

Meetings were arranged at places such as KwaMhlanga and the elite Centurion Golf Estate, where Ntuli was introduced to Sibanyoni, the “taxi boss known as the president” of the forum.

“On March 30 2023, I received a WhatsApp message from Kabini reminding me that I needed to pay the protection fee as discussed in the meeting. In my response, I told him that the project was still in the starting phase and currently it does not make money,” said Ntuli.

He told authorities that after his plea that he did not have the money, he was again summoned to Sibanyoni’s golf estate, where he was allegedly further threatened.

The Sunday Times understands that Ntuli provided law enforcement. with WhatsApp messages showing that between February and August 2024 he was repeatedly pressured by Sindane to pay the protection fee

“On April 4 2023, another meeting was facilitated at 2pm by Kabini … at Sibanyoni’s residence [to discuss] the same issue of payment. During that meeting I was reprimanded by Sibanyoni, who was with Kabini, and told that I must continue paying the protection fee monthly and must not forget that I owed them the protection fee. I told them my business was just starting and that it does not make money,” Ntuli said.

The Sunday Times understands that Ntuli provided law enforcement. with WhatsApp messages showing that between February and August 2024 he was repeatedly pressured by Sindane to pay the protection fee.

“On July 2 2024, Kabini ... sent me another strong WhatsApp message demanding a response within 48 hours regarding payment of R100,000 as a protection fee. I did try responding to him with all my explanations,” said Ntuli.

Sibanyoni, the executive president of the South African Local and Long Distance Taxi and Bus Organisation and a figure linked to the notorious “Big Five” cartel, has denied extorting money from Ntuli.

He said in his bail application that the case against him is defamatory and damaging to his reputation. In an attempt to prove their close relationship, Sibanyoni and his legal team attached WhatsApp messages between himself and Ntuli dating back to 2024 and last year. In the messages, the two refer to each other using nicknames such as “Landlord” and “Growthpoint” and also use clan names.

“Morning my Landlord, meeting is confirmed for today. Kindly send me the entrance code in the meantime,” reads one message allegedly from Ntuli to Sibanyoni.

Ntuli also told law enforcement that when the scope of work on the Moloto Road was extended, there were additional demands from the business forum regarding increased protection fees.

“Edwin Construction was appointed by Sanral for the continuation of the construction on the R573, Moloto Road. Edwin Construction therefore entered into a contract with Tengane Mining for the supply of the material at R50 a ton, later amended to R65 a ton,” he said.

“The same procedure applied. The first group, consisting of Sibanyoni and Kabini, demanded R120,000 every month. The second group, led by Masilela, the chairperson, demanded R15 a ton of material delivered to Edwin Construction.”

Sibanyoni and his co-accused are out on R70,000 bail each after the case was re-enrolled by the NPA in the Delmas magistrates’ court.

This followed the case being controversially struck off the roll by the now-retired magistrate Tuletu Tonjeni in Kwaggafontein, after NPA prosecutor Mkhuseli Ntaba failed to appear in court. The NPA has since lodged a complaint with the Magistrates Commission against Tonjeni.