WhatsApp messages lay bare extortion case against taxi bosses, Sibanyoni and Sindane - TimesLIVE
“I demand a response, within 48 hours, detailing why the operation should not be stopped so that you can come and account on what’s going on.”
This was one of the “threatening” messages allegedly sent to a Mpumalanga businessman after he missed a payment of a “protection fee” to taxi bosses Joe Sibanyoni and Bafana Sindane in July 2024.
Sibanyoni, Sindane, Mvimbi Masilela and Philemon Msiza were arrested in May 2026 and charged with extortion and money laundering after a criminal complaint by Dr Thomas Ntuli.
Ntuli had secured a tender with the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to upgrade the Moloto road, and the group allegedly told him that the land was theirs, and to operate smoothly, he needed to pay a protection fee to ensure that operations were not disturbed.
The accused have all denied the allegations and are out on bail.
On Monday, the Madlanga commission heard how the group allegedly demanded a monthly payment of R100,000 from Ntuli from July 2021 until 2025.
Chief evidence leader advocate Matthews Chaskalson read out a WhatsApp message allegedly sent by Sindane to Ntuli after he missed a payment.
“Good day bab’ Ntuli, I’m sad and disappointed to have to write another message to you to chase for payment.
“You will remember that we’ve been very lenient towards you regarding the deal that you have and our share in it. We had initially agreed on a 60/40 split between you and the president [Sibanyoni]. This was later reviewed and reduced to a more manageable amount for you. You used to pay us R100,000, but I’m now left confused as to why you’ve reduced the payment yet again.
“This is not fair at all. Your operation continues to run, yet we are not taken care of in an equitable way. It’s as if you’re not recognising our contribution to the project.
“I demand a response, within 48 hours, detailing why the operation should not be stopped so that you can come and account on what’s going on.”
Sindane was not at the commission to account for the message.
The Gauteng High Court had earlier in the day struck off the roll Sindane’s urgent application to stop the Madlanga commission of inquiry from hearing his testimony.
Ntuli further alleges that in November 2025 he was told by Msiza that the group would stop operations at his mining company if they did not receive a payment.
In his affidavit, Ntuli said the alleged protection fee was crippling his business because most of its profits were going to the group.
Chaskalson said the messages were part of what he described as a pattern of an alleged “extortion racket”.
“What we see in the affidavits of Dr Ntuli and the chats is essentially an extortion racket enforced with threats of violence. Dr Ntuli says he was told that if he wanted his contract to run smoothly, he had to make these payments to Mr Sibanyoni,” Chaskalson said.
Another chat that Chaskalson flagged is of an attorney who persistently demanded payments from Sindane for representing two hitmen implicated in taxi-related killings.
“What these chats cumulatively suggest is that Sibanyoni and Sindane were involved in paying legal expenses of Mr Gwabo Mahlangu, who was convicted of a taxi-related murder, and Tshegofatso Makofane, who was also convicted of a taxi-related murder; they were supporting the legal defence of these two apparent ‘izinkabi’ and we would like to find out why?” he asked.
