Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni tells Madlanga commission alleged Big Five leader tried to kill him

Taxi entrepreneur Johannes "Joe Ferrari" Sibanyoni testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that alleged cartel leader Jotham "Mswazi" Msibi attempted to murder him. Sibanyoni, who is currently on bail for extortion, appeared before the commission on August 28, 2026, at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria. He described himself as a businessman in transport and property, emphasizing his four-decade-long involvement in the minibus taxi industry through "legitimate commercial activity."

Sibanyoni recounted two alleged assassination attempts on his life, one in 2006 or 2007 and the more recent one in August 2022. He alleged that a person associated with Msibi shot him during the 2006 or 2007 incident, leading him to temporarily leave the taxi industry and enter the truck sector. He later returned to the taxi business in 2008.

In 2019, Sibanyoni claimed that Msibi called him, reversed their agreement, and threatened him, stating "this is taxi business, we die working." This, he said, was not merely an expression of commitment to the industry.

Sibanyoni also testified that the August 2022 assassination attempt was the culmination of an escalating campaign against him following the breakdown of his relationship with Msibi. He stated that the attack was planned, organized, and executed over an extended period. The trial of Matlala and others charged in connection with the 2022 attempted murder of Sibanyoni is scheduled to resume on August 31, 2026. Sibanyoni confirmed that he expects to testify at the trial.