Crime Time: Mpumalanga Taxi Boss Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni Court Appearance

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]702 >> Call us on 011 [music] 883 0702.

[00:00:07]>> What's about that?

[00:00:08]Um, I believe that Veronica Mokhoali might join us to talk about the same conversation. She is now with Newsroom Africa, former colleague of ours. I believe she's available. Yeah, I believe she is.

[00:00:23]Veronica, good evening to you and so good to speak to you. Good evening to you.

[00:00:28]>> Uh, good evening Aubrey. This takes me back.

[00:00:31]>> It does, doesn't [laughter] it?

[00:00:33]>> It takes me back.

[00:00:34]>> Indeed, indeed. I I I I'm looking at the case with the sort of what is now been called the Wandile Mafia. I don't know if you've heard about that Monica.

[00:00:47]But let's start from the beginning Veronica. Suppose let's deal with the facts first. What is Mr. Joel Ferrari Spagnoli and his alleged accomplices accused of?

[00:01:04]>> Uh, you know Aubrey, given of course to just how much drama has unfolded in Diepkloof lower courts, the matter itself is pretty straightforward.

[00:01:14]Joel Spagnoli as well as the three co-accused, well they are simply charged with money laundering as well as extortion.

[00:01:24]>> Okay, and and why is it that this has become such a high profile case?

[00:01:31]>> I think it has to go back to the individuals at the same time of this case. And so when it comes to those charges of money laundering and extortion, it's a matter that dates back as far as 2022 where a mining businessman essentially had to pay protection fee at a cost of about 2.2 million rand. And so the accused in particular the taxi boss Joel Spagnoli alongside taxi tycoon Bathana Ndlovu essentially were arrested into this matter as we heard essentially from the court how these group the four of them were extorting this particular individual and if you remember that this uh Sibanyoni is somebody who has long been in the taxi industry even as a taxi tycoon. His empire going as far beyond Mpumalanga and you know he goes by the nickname Ferrari in those taxi circles.

[00:02:26]This is because of these fleet of high performance vehicles that he owned and so the attention really has come because of the particular individual involved in this matter from those that even that we interact with in court. They speak about Joseph Sibanyoni not only as a businessman, a philanthropist, somebody whose businesses are deeply entrenched within the Mpumalanga province that his influence as well is something to consider but at the same time the interest in this matter comes as the taxi industry in itself has come under scrutiny at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry. You'd remember that it was the messages between sergeant suspended police sergeant Freddy Ngobeni that showed a relationship as well between some dodgy figures as well as the Joseph Sibanyoni where he was sending certain information that he didn't have to or shouldn't have rather as a police officer. One that very brief segment where the commission got into the taxi industry itself where it was uncovering what seems to be the long allegations of violent crime within the industry, extortions, links to drug trafficking as well and particularly just really dodgy figures that may be linked to this. This is of course given the rise of the fact that there has been allegations that even in Durban themselves, those that are known as hit men within this industry that is allegedly run by these cartel figures by essentially hiring guns from the taxi industry itself.

[00:03:58]>> So, it it appear it appears that we we are dealing here with a very very well-established organization here. It isn't just about I suppose about taxi tycoon, but really a leader of a very well-established network of businesses.

[00:04:20]>> That's uh correct, uh Aubrey. In fact, um it's the likening of the taxi industry itself and its close ties to organized crime uh that is actually this case's biggest interest and its biggest pool because Siboniyo has been known uh for some time alongside uh Bafana Sindane. You'd know and remember him uh as a particularly high-rolling taxi operator. He goes by the name of King of the Sky. And that money um has been something that has been put out in the public domain. And uh very often, not enough questions have been asked about how that money seem to be acquired. And so, when charges of extortion and money laundering come to the fore, uh it does, of course, get a lot of attention because these are things that have not only essentially characterized the taxi industry, but it's issues, as you'd remember how long uh some of government departments, particularly when it comes to provinces like Mpumalanga, [clears throat] where construction is a big thing, they often talk about certain projects, uh road works that are delayed due to the construction mafia. The work of the construction mafia is exactly part of this extorting businessmen as well uh and individuals in order to get protection fees or a stake in some of these high-stake government projects that take place in provinces like Mpumalanga.

[00:05:39]>> In fact, there is a video that has been doing the rounds where uh President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with Minister uh Gwede Mantashe had visited the king of the amaNdebele I mean the king of the amaNdebele people Mabhoko the third where Mr. Sponyono is seen addressing President Cyril Ramaphosa and quite openly saying that we will go and confront minds and other business to get our 30% as per the rule of the law that says that communities must earn or not earn but be exposed to 30% of any project. There is that part of perhaps what we are seeing here that that that is in fact the manifestation of that conversation with the president where Mr. Sponyono himself was leading that conversation.

[00:06:37]>> And it's it's a it's a very fine line and that's the perfect example Aubrey because you're speaking of something that in its essence sounds like extortion speaking to government to say in order for certain projects to happen they should be a stake and while those words sound like an honest you know drive to get the community involved the issue is this is how it often stems or at least it's how it's presented when it comes to issues of extortion. You'll hear businessmen as well saying that to this you know a certain community must get a stake in this but how often are those actual benefits ever tracked really to see if the benefits if the community has actually benefited or do we find ourselves in a position where businessmen who have essentially found a particular community where they run where they make up the law and order trying to get as much as they can from there and I think as well it it it brings into question the bigger issue of lawlessness as well and while uh the conversation around Joe Sponyono has been particularly this extortion and money laundering case. Uh the way in which he's built his empire um has really gotten the attention of many people. I mean, this is somebody um who started driving taxis at the age of 19.

[00:07:56]We're told from the court papers and the affidavit, of course, as he tried to uh as he was uh persuading the court that it's been the he the interest of justice for him to be granted bail, that he has about nine properties owned uh in ex in the fleet of taxis, buses, has also branched into the construction company.

[00:08:15]And so, this is a mogul. Um if uh any other word is there to describe him uh particularly in Mpumalanga, and his influence is absolutely far-reaching.

[00:08:25]You could see it from the people who gathered outside the court, inside the public gallery, uh even speaking to some of the residents there where they refer to him as Khotso Man, uh because that's just how they perceive him. But, ultimately, the state's saying that the Joseph Sibanyoni and his three co-accused have a case to answer to. And perhaps, Aubrey, it has played out exactly like that where uh we've got an individual uh telling another that this is a stake that they need to pay, a protection fee, according to the state, in order for them to continue to run their business. Who benefited from that? Well, we're not sure, but according to the state's case, uh Sibanyoni and the three accused taking about 2.2 million over several years from this particular business man.

[00:09:11]>> Uh Veronica Mokwena, thank you so much for joining us. I really appreciate it, and thank you for remembering home.

[00:09:16]Kumulikae.

[00:09:17]>> [laughter] >> Newsroom Africa reporter now is Veronica Mokwena. Thank you so much for joining us. Much appreciated.