Following explosive revelations at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, influential and feared business figure Steven Motsumi has been officially subpoenaed to appear for a grueling four-day testimony from September 4 to 7, 2026.
Motsumi will face intense questioning from the commission’s legal team regarding his deep seated relationship with the late notorious taxi tycoon Jothan “Mswazi” Msibi and his alleged operational links to the sophisticated “Big 5” criminal cartel.
Evidence recently led by Chief Evidence Leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson has painted a chilling picture of how state infrastructure and security protocols were allegedly bypassed or co-opted. According to the commission’s records, Motsumi, along with murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe and the late Msibi, embarked on an international trip to Europe under false pretenses.
The trio allegedly masqueraded as high-ranking official representatives of the South African government during high stakes negotiations with a tech firm in the Czech Republic. Their primary objective was the illicit procurement of highly restricted cellphone “grabbers” military-grade surveillance and signal-jamming technology typically reserved exclusively for national crime intelligence and top-tier state security organs.
The commission heard that the group intended to smuggle and market this powerful interceptive technology directly to the government of Eswatini, a move that security analysts warn could have triggered severe cross-border diplomatic and security crises.
Beyond the international espionage plot, Motsumi’s subpoena will force him to answer to the inner workings of the “Big 5” cartel. WhatsApp data logs and intelligence reports presented to the commission identify the late Jothan Msibi as the central “CEO” of a corporate structured syndicate. The cartel’s sprawling illicit operations allegedly spanned cross border vehicle hijacking syndicates, highly organized drug trafficking networks, and construction mafia protection rackets that terrorized local businesses.
Witness testimonies indicate that Motsumi was a frequent attendee at strategic meetings hosted at Msibi’s private farm, where the syndicate allegedly planned its operations and mapped out strategies to evade law enforcement.
The inquiry has also cast light on how deeply the syndicate penetrated local governance. WhatsApp communication logs submitted into evidence show that on September 23, 2023, Motsumi acted as a direct conduit for the cartel, extracting and forwarding the sensitive personal contact information of high-ranking municipal figures including former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi directly to Msibi.
Advocate Chaskalson emphasized the deeply worrying nature of these interactions, pointing to an organized pattern where the syndicate used insider contacts, strategic bribes, and high level meddling to compromise senior police officers, disrupt pending police raids, and shield high-profile fugitives from justice.
As South Africa watches the unfolding drama at the Madlanga Commission, Motsumi’s upcoming four-day appearance represents a critical milestone for state accountability.
With security structures, municipal authorities, and international relations all entangled in the web spun by the late Msibi, Motsumi’s testimony could either break open the remaining secrets of the Big 5 cartel or expose a deeper network of untouchable figures still operating within the shadows of the state.