Madlanga commission: Five things to know from Joe Sibanyoni’s testimony - TimesLIVE

Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni used his return to the Madlanga commission to mount a broad challenge to the evidence and lines of questioning being put to him.

Sibanyoni objected to the commission probing areas he believes either fall outside its mandate or risk prejudicing his legal rights.

Sibanyoni argued that the commission should not rely on a pending criminal docket or question him on allegations that are before a criminal court, saying this could prejudice his right to a fair trial. Sibanyoni and his co-accused allegedly extorted R2m from a Mpumalanga businessman.

He said Shosholoza was an investment vehicle comprising people in the taxi business and rejected the commission’s apparent characterisation of the stokvel as a “pipeline for improper cash flows”. He insisted that the money moving through the account represented member contributions and year-end distributions.

Sibanyoni argued that questions about alleged irregularities involving contracts of bus company Putco went beyond the specific matters he had been notified to answer under the Regulation 10(6) notice.

He also challenged the commission’s reliance on data obtained from his cellphone, arguing that its use violated his constitutional rights and that he should not be expected to respond to cellphone-derived evidence presented in proceedings held in his absence.

Sibanyoni acknowledged that he knows several police officers but denied having any social, personal or professional relationship with four officers. However, it was revealed that five police officers had access codes to his estate at some point.