Taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni has nonchalantly described himself as a Bible-loving man of God when he appeared in the Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday.
Sibanyoni, who gained the moniker “Ferrari” from his love of luxury cars, was driven to the court in a police bakkie but looked composed when appearing in the dock with his fellow accused.
The three face charges of extortion relating to allegedly demanding protection fees from a Middelburg businessman.
Wearing a blue tie and black suit, the 60-year-old Sibanyoni sat comfortably in the dock before later pleading with journalists to accept that he was a saint.
“Mina ngiyi nceku kaNkulunkulu,” he told journalists in Siswati after being asked whether he was innocent. Loosely translated, the phrase means: “I’m a servant of God.”
Case postponed to Friday
The court proceedings consumed most of the day, with his legal representative, advocate Shaun Abrahams, complaining outside court that the National Prosecuting Authority had ignored repeated attempts to provide clarity on the charges that led to his client’s dramatic arrest.
At the end of the proceedings, the matter was postponed to Friday for another magistrate to take over the case and for the accused to possibly launch a formal bail application.
For now, the self-described “servant of God” will spend at least two more nights behind bars while the legal machinery prepares for the next chapter of the case.
Sibanyoni’s arrest has sent shockwaves through Mpumalanga’s political and business corridors because of his growing prominence in recent testimony before the Madlanga commission and parliamentary ad hoc committee hearings probing alleged organised crime networks.
The police arrested Sibanyoni alongside two other suspects during coordinated raids carried out by the SA Police Service organised crime unit in Gauteng and Mpumalanga on Tuesday morning.
Construction mafia
Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said investigators believed the suspects extorted money from a mining tycoon “over an extended period of time” before the matter was eventually reported at the Kwaggafontein police station.
Community safety MEC Jackie Macie later welcomed the arrests, warning that the so-called “construction mafia” and extortion syndicates were crippling development projects and terrorising contractors across the province.
The arrest also revived scrutiny around explosive Madlanga commission testimony involving Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, who conceded under pressure that he had visited Sibanyoni’s house 12 times between March 2024 and September 2025.
Evidence leader advocate Matthew Chaskalson confronted Nkosi with WhatsApp evidence after the police officer initially appeared to minimise his relationship with the influential taxi boss.
- Taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni appeared in Kwaggafontein Magistrate’s Court facing extortion charges related to alleged protection fee demands from a businessman.
- Sibanyoni, known for his luxury car nickname and involvement in crime probes, described himself as a “servant of God” during the court appearance.
- The case was postponed, with Sibanyoni remaining in custody pending a possible bail application and magistrate reassignment.
- His arrest, part of coordinated raids by the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, sparked concern over extortion syndicates affecting development projects in Mpumalanga.
- The case revived attention to earlier testimony about Sibanyoni’s links with police officers and organized crime networks revealed during the Madlanga Commission hearings.
Taxi boss Joe “Ferrari”
“Mina ngiyi nceku kaNkulunkulu,” he told journalists in Siswati after being asked whether he was innocent. Loosely translated, the phrase means: “I’m a servant of God.”
At the end of the proceedings, the matter was postponed to Friday for another magistrate to take over the case and for the accused to possibly launch a formal bail application.
For now, the self-described “servant of God” will spend at least two more nights behind bars while the legal machinery prepares for the next chapter of the case.
Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela
Community safety MEC Jackie Macie later welcomed the arrests, warning that the so-called “construction mafia” and extortion syndicates were crippling development projects and terrorising contractors across the province.
Evidence leader advocate
