The group of five was the subject of discussion at the Madlanga commission on Friday, where suspended organised crime head Major-General Richard Shibiri denied that some of the names were part of the group.
Discussions centred on a recording of a phone call between Shibiri and Witness A, which took place in December 2024 and in which Shibiri shared information he claimed to have received from a source.
Witness C previously defined the group of five as “the people who are in control of the activities that are happening in the government, the Saps, actually, each and every government department that they have full control and oversight of. It’s a criminal world that wields more control over the government, as we understand it.”
Shibiri on group of five
Late Pretoria taxi boss Jothan ‘Mswazi’ Msibi, Katiso Molefe and another man [who could not be named by the commission] were alleged to have been members of the five. Discussions at the Madlanga commission centred on the other two.
The name of businessman Ze Nxumalo, said to be close to Julius Malema, who is allegedly close to suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, came up on Friday.
Another name, Joe, said to be leading the taxi industry following Msibi’s death, came up.
However, Shibiri insisted the two were not members of the group of five.
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“I said the person [Molefe] arrested was involved with a group of five, and they have a business interest,” explained Shibiri.
“I shared information with him [Witness A] to say that the same person, I got information that he was working with somebody, and they were a group of five, and they have mining rights.
“They were a group of five partners, according to information. The information I got is that the arrested person belonged to the group of the deceased. And they were about five, they also have companies.”
He said he did not know who the other two members were, though insisting that Nxumalo and Joe were not them.
Who are the other two?
“How do you know there are five if you don’t know about the other two?” asked evidence leader Lee Segeels-Ncube.
Shibiri responded: “That is what I was told, that there were five. And then I happened to know the other three names, which I was informed. I remember even before, the source indicated to me that they arrested three. Then other names, which I’m not informed about, I don’t know.
“Information which was shared to me, they were not mentioned. I’m saying everybody knows that there was a rivalry between Joe and Mswazi, then there cannot be in the same group having the same company together. So that is why I’m sure of that. Ze is not part of the group because it was not mentioned. He was not mentioned in the information I got.
“They say he’s [Ze] close to Mr Malema, and also the Deputy National Commissioner is also close to Malema because now and then he reports to him certain cases which he tasked me.”
In September last year, Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo testified at the commission that Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala was part of the group of five.
Shibiri said he did not know about Matlala being a member of the group.
“What I know, I know he was a security for the late, not part of the five. I know he was providing security for the late Mswazi. All of them were known for taxis. They owned taxis. They owned a fleet of taxis, and they were running the Santaco.”
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