Prominent Mpumalanga transport mogul Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni took the witness stand on Friday morning at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, facing intense questioning regarding criminal syndicates and rampant taxi violence within the industry.
During his testimony, Sibanyoni revealed that a “bucket money” system is actively used to finance izinkabi(hitmen).
“Some of the money used to pay izinkabi is sourced from the bucket money system,” Sibanyoni told the commission, explaining how the illicit scheme allegedly operates across parts of the taxi sector.
He stated that while taxi operators regularly contribute funds into a shared “bucket” for various legitimate association purposes, a portion of this capital is systematically diverted to finance contract killings.
Furthermore, Sibanyoni disclosed that payment is not always monetary; hitmen are sometimes rewarded with exclusive operational rights over lucrative taxi routes.
“In some instances, payment takes the form, not of money, but of being allowed to operate on certain routes,” he testified.
While individual operators or specific factions within the industry hire izinkabi to execute targeted assassinations, Sibanyoni emphasized that these criminal activities are often kept secret from the broader membership.
“Some people, you’ll find him being the boss of his izinkabi,” Sibanyoni noted. “Then you’ll find Christians within the associations who have absolutely no knowledge of izinkabi.”
The transport mogul also detailed the severe personal toll of the industry’s volatility, recounting how he narrowly survived two assassination attempts the first in 2006 and a second in August 2022.
He stated that these attacks underscore the profound dangers embedding the taxi industry, noting that his family continues to live under the shadow of these threats.
Sibanyoni’s explosive testimony adds a critical layer to the commission’s broader investigation into organised crime. The inquiry is currently examining deep rooted links between criminal networks, taxi businesses, and state institutions.