The Sunday Times has uncovered that taxi boss Madoda Johannes "Joe Ferrari" Sibanyoni received R2.29m from a subcontractor through what appears to be an extortion racket. This revelation was made at the Madlanga commission, which has been investigating the matter. The payment was made by Thomas Ntuli, a mining executive whose company had received a contract to supply aggregate stones in Sanral's R3.7bn construction of Moloto Road.
The Sunday Times was the first to report on this extortion racket on June 7 in a front-page story titled "Inside Sibanyoni 'extortion racket'". The story, written by Thanduxolo Jika and Sabelo Skiti, revealed that Ntuli's company had been forced to pay a R2.2m "protection fee" to Sibanyoni and others. The payment records seen by the Sunday Times and reported on at the time were flighted by the Madlanga commission this week.
Sibanyoni appeared tongue-tied in his explanation of why Ntuli paid him and others the R2.2m. He described it as a partnership in terms of which Ntuli needed "30% local content" to get the tender, without which he'd have nothing from Sanral. However, he could not prove this, and no documentation existed to support this claim.
The Sunday Times also revealed that WhatsApp messages showed Ntuli was fearful and turned to the police because he did not want to pay for the so-called 30% local content, which Sanral knew nothing about. The newspaper's investigative journalism has been instrumental in exposing corruption and malfeasance in South Africa.
The Sunday Times has a track record of breaking boundaries to bring its subscribers the finest in investigative journalism. Recently, the newspaper brought its subscribers exclusive details, including WhatsApp messages, linking popular DJs to a cocaine theft case and underground gang boss Ralph Stanfield.
The newspaper's investigative journalism has also exposed other high-profile cases, including the murder of deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Sindile "Pitso" Mfazi, which was classified as Covid-related to avoid investigations. The Sunday Times has also reported on the fallout between former defence minister and speaker of parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and defence contractor Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu.
The Sunday Times' journalism is made possible by its subscribers, who play a crucial role in sustaining the newspaper's investigative journalism. The newspaper's work is impactful and goes to the heart of South Africa's democracy, promoting accountability and transparency.
Key points
- The Sunday Times exposed an extortion racket involving taxi boss Madoda Johannes "Joe Ferrari" Sibanyoni.
- The newspaper's investigative journalism has been instrumental in exposing corruption and malfeasance in South Africa.
- Subscriptions to the Sunday Times support its investigative journalism and promote accountability and transparency in South Africa.
