Taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni has denied any involvement in the arson attack that destroyed 51 Putco buses in Mpumalanga. The buses, which were set alight in January 2025, belonged to Putco, a bus company that transports about 20,000 commuters in the Nkangala district. Sibanyoni made the denial during a testimony before the Madlanga commission, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement. A video shown before the commission revealed that Sibanyoni had warned President Cyril Ramaphosa that business organisations would "interfere with the Putco business" a year before the arson attack.
The video shown before the commission revealed that Sibanyoni had told Ramaphosa and mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe that business organisations wanted a 30% stake in Putco's business operation in KwaNdebele. Sibanyoni claimed that he meant "engaging" with Putco when he said "interfere" in the conversation with Ramaphosa. He said he was in talks with Putco on behalf of Gauteng Central Bus Services (GCBS), an organisation that wanted to work with Putco. Sibanyoni's testimony was part of the commission's investigation into allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement.
Evidence before the commission suggests that a month after the buses were burnt, Taxi Choice, the business wing of the South African National Taxi Council headed by Sibanyoni, made an unsolicited offer to Putco to buy their entire business operation in KwaNdebele. The offer was made through a letter sent to Putco MD Franco Pisapia. Sibanyoni denied being responsible for the attack on Putco and claimed that the offer was not an isolated proposal. He said Taxi Choice had made similar proposals to other companies, including FlySafair and Autopax.
Putco MD Franco Pisapia responded to the offer in a scathing letter, saying that the company found the offer to be "calculated" as it was made a month after an attack on its business. Pisapia stated that Putco was not on the market and that the timing and content of the letter were "disturbingly calculated". The commission's evidence leader, Matthew Chaskalson, questioned Sibanyoni about the offer, saying that it seemed to point to a single process where Putco was being placed under pressure to sell to Taxi Choice.
Sibanyoni is also facing a criminal charge of extorting money from Tengane Thomas Ntuli, who owns a company that supplied aggregate stone to the R573 project of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) in Mpumalanga. In that case, Sibanyoni also raised the issue of the "30% local content" requirement. The commission is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement, and Sibanyoni's testimony is part of the probe.
Sibanyoni's right-hand man, Oupa "Bafana" Sindane, has been subpoenaed to appear before the commission to answer questions on his talks with police officers in facilitating police to escort Sibanyoni. Sibanyoni told the commission that he "knew" that suspended police deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya "reported" to his former boss Jotham Msibi. He said that if a senior police officer was reporting to Msibi, it was "dangerous".
The Madlanga commission's investigation into allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement continues, with Sibanyoni's testimony being part of the probe. Sibanyoni's denial of involvement in the arson attack on Putco buses is one of the key aspects of the investigation. The commission will continue to hear testimony from various witnesses, including Sindane, to uncover the truth behind the allegations.
Key points
- Taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni denies involvement in arson attack on 51 Putco buses in Mpumalanga.
- Sibanyoni's company, Taxi Choice, made an unsolicited offer to Putco to buy their entire business operation in KwaNdebele.
- The Madlanga commission is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement, including Sibanyoni's involvement in extortion and arson.
