Commission hears of alleged protection pay in Moloto Road project – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard evidence alleging that contractors and mining operators working on the Moloto Road project were pressured to make regular “protection payments” to avoid disruptions to their operations.

The evidence was extracted from the phone of taxi industry figure Bafana Sindane, who is absent from the commission on Monday.

The WhatsApp messages suggest demands for monthly payments, threats to halt projects and discussions about sharing proceeds from contracts.

Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson has argued that the communications point to an alleged organised extortion scheme involving Sindane, Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni and their associates.

“What we see in the affidavits of Dr Ntuli and the chats is essentially an extortion record enforced by threats of violence. Dr Ntuli says that he was told that if he wanted his contract to run free from interference, he had to make these payments to Mr Sibanyoni and that he had to make additional payments to Mr Masilela.”