The Madlanga Commission has heard evidence that places taxi boss Oupa Jossiah Sindane at the centre of alleged extortion, police information leaks, and intelligence linked to Cat Matlala. An internal Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department letter, allegedly sent to Sindane's phone by intermediary Timothy Moyane, links Matlala's use of blue lights to the EMPD. This document is part of a broader trove of cellphone records and financial evidence that implicates Sindane in extortion, illicit police access, and unauthorised flow of state intelligence.
Sindane failed to appear before the commission on Monday, despite being summoned to testify regarding financial records, text messages, and alleged links to contract killers. His absence led to the formal reading of incriminating evidence against him into the public record. Advocate Matthew Chaskalson, SC, presented evidence from a police docket involving Sindane and co-accused Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni, supported by WhatsApp chats recovered from Sindane's cellphone. This evidence allegedly reveals an extortion racket enforced with threats of violence.
The extortion allegations centre around Dr Tengane Ntuli, director of Tengane Mining, who obtained a mining right for a farm in Mpumalanga. Ntuli claimed that Sibanyoni and Sindane demanded R100,000 in cash and 40% of his contract income. When Ntuli objected, he was allegedly instructed to pay R100,000 a month to a transport company linked to Sibanyoni as a "protection fee". Records show that about R2.29-million was paid into the account, with WhatsApp messages supporting Ntuli's account. Sindane allegedly complained when payments were missed and threatened to stop the operation.
Further cellphone evidence, including messages from a number associated with Sindane, suggests a relationship between Sindane and Sibanyoni and people involved in violent criminal activity. Chaskalson argued that the cellphone evidence points to an apparent extortion racket, with payments being extracted on threat of violence. The evidence also contains chats about organised crime accused Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and people allegedly linked to his drug-distribution network.
Chaskalson questioned why Sindane was receiving names, identity numbers, and intelligence reports about Matlala's associates in Atteridgeville and Pretoria West. He suggested two possible explanations: that people linked to Sibanyoni were seeking information on Matlala's associates amid hostility between the two men, or that those interested in Matlala's alleged drug network wanted to identify key players while he faced criminal charges.
Sindane, Sibanyoni, and two others face charges of extortion and money laundering in the Kwaggafontein Magistrates' Court in Mpumalanga. The Madlanga Commission's evidence leader, advocate Chaskalson, presented a comprehensive case against Sindane, highlighting the extent of his alleged involvement in the extortion racket and leaked police intelligence.
Key points
- Oupa Sindane's alleged involvement in an extortion racket and leaked police intelligence has been exposed through evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission.
- The evidence, which includes cellphone records and financial transactions, implicates Sindane in a broader network of organised crime and corruption.
- Sindane's absence from the commission and his subsequent legal challenges have not deterred the presentation of evidence against him.
