Jothan Msibi

Jotham Zanemvula “King Mswazi” Msibi, born 3 June 1961, sometimes written as "Jotham Msibi" (died on 7 January 2024) was a South African taxi-industry leader and businessman who played a high-profile role in taxi associations and industry bodies. He is implicated at the Madlanga Commission as the “president” of a criminal network dubbed “The Firm”, under whose umbrella the “Big Five cartel” operates.

Role in taxi industry In the early 1990s, he founded Santaco and the implementation of routes, licences, and associations. The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) described him in a tribute as “one of the council’s founders and a visionary leader who made substantial contributions to the taxi sector by promoting the industry’s acceptance, prosperity, harmony and peace.”

In February 2000, Msibi's ex-wife Sara Msibi and her sister Happy Mgoato were arrested after being implicated in the plot to murder him.

Mswazi also known as Ndlondlo was the President of SALLDTBO (South African Local Long Distance Taxi Bus Organization) for 27 years. In 2025 he was succeeded by Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni. Vusimuzi Matlala tried to assassinate Joe Sibanyoni on behalf of Msibi. Sibanyoni and Mswazi used to be taxi associates until their relationship broke down. The peace treaty was brokered by SANTACO President Abner Motlhabane Tsebe after many taxi drivers were killed from both sides. Mswazi died as the Chairman of Taxi Choice, a holding company for Zola Taxi Sales which was founded in 2010 by Mswazi. Taxi Choice through SANTACO it's a shareholder of SA Taxi, a subsidiary of Transaction capital. Mr Joe 'Ferrari' Sibanyoni is the current Chairman of Taxi Choice.

Madlanga Commission In October 2025 a witness (“Witness B”) testified that Msibi was identified as the “president” of a criminal network dubbed “The Firm”, under whose umbrella the “Big Five” cartel operates. Msibi has been described as “dangerous” and “ruthless” in relation to killings. The testimony stated that Mswazi appeared to be president, and the rest are of the executives which formed the Big Five. The cartel is alleged to have engaged in extortion, murder, tender fraud, protection rackets and infiltration of the justice system.

Investigators who testified at the commission linked Msibi to the murder of engineer Armand Swart. A witness (“Witness A”) before the commission said that envelopes of bribes were being offered in the case: “There were three envelopes floating around … one will be for the investigating officers, one will be for the magistrate and the last one will be for the prosecutor.”

Personal life Msibi was the brother of Mandla Msibi ,the ANC treasurer in Mpumalanga. His funeral was conducted on 14 January at the Wild Life Estates Cemetery in Brits, North West. His funeral was also attended by the Former Minister of Police of South Africa Bheki Cele , Advocate Anneline van den Heever and EFF leader Julius Malema. WhatsApp messages revealed that these men were acting as South African representatives, especially the South African Police Services, while trying to buy these devices from a company in Czech Republic. It was Fannie Nkosi who fraduently used the South African Police stamps on all the documents.