Friday, 2 October 2026

Security strategist Andy Mashaile said the Commission is testing whether Joe Sibanyoni’s claims of victimhood obscure alleged links to taxi cartel activity, intimidation, extortion and a R30-million payment.

Sibanyoni denied that Taxi Choice’s offer to buy Putco followed pressure after buses were burned, insisting he had held several prior meetings and that the negotiations were ongoing.

Mashaile said police are not ordinarily permitted to escort civilians, arguing vehicle-location data and officers’ statements could reveal whether Sibanyoni received improper access to SAPS resources.

Professor Nirmala Gopal identified systemic SAPS corruption, tax evasion, compromised court retainers and correctional-services failures as the Commission’s central criminal-justice concerns.

After more than a year of public hearings involving 110 witnesses over 174 days, the Commission moves into October in-camera proceedings and is due to produce a final report by 25 January 2027.