By Johnathan Paoli
Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, has been suspended with immediate effect over allegations that he interfered with investigations into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
Sibiya confirmed the suspension to the media on Sunday, saying it was communicated in a letter from National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola on Friday.
According to the letter, Sibiya’s actions allegedly hindered or delayed probes into politically motivated murders in the province.
“You committed acts of misconduct which detrimentally affect the image of the SAPS or bring the SAPS into disrepute, and involve an element of dishonesty by acting contrary to the instructions of the national commissioner,” the suspension letter reads.
It escalates a previous leave-of-absence order that had kept Sibiya at home since July, when KZN Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi first raised concerns of political interference in ongoing probes.
According to the suspension notice, Sibiya faces four charges of misconduct stemming from incidents between January and July this year.
Sibiya is accused of “giving instructions that the case dockets of the political killings task team in KZN be withdrawn from the task team in [the province] to the divisional commissioner: detective and forensic services” the statement read.
Central to the allegations is that he instructed case dockets belonging to the political killings task team in KZN be withdrawn and reassigned to the divisional commissioner for detective and forensic services—without authorisation from the national commissioner.
Sibiya’s alleged conduct is said to have contravened multiple provisions of the South African Police Service (SAPS) disciplinary code, including attempts to defeat the ends of justice.
As part of his suspension conditions, Sibiya has been ordered to surrender his appointment certificate, access card, state-issued firearm, laptop, and cellphone.
The development follows Sibiya’s recent legal setback. Last week, the Gauteng High Court dismissed his bid to overturn Masemola’s earlier decision to place him on leave, finding that the seriousness of the allegations justified the move.
In a 34-page ruling, the court criticised Sibiya’s claims that Masemola was abusing his powers and running a “parallel investigation” alongside the judicial commission of inquiry into political interference in the criminal justice system, chaired by former Constitutional Court justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
The judgment noted that Sibiya had made “overbroad and unfounded allegations” and that he had not challenged the constitutionality of any law or state conduct, but rather sought to contest a normal disciplinary process.
Sibiya has since indicated his intention to appeal the ruling.
The suspended deputy commissioner continues to deny wrongdoing.
He insists he never sought to disband the political killings task team and argues that Masemola acted unlawfully by not giving him an opportunity to make representations before imposing the suspension.
Sibiya further contends that the case against him rests on “untested allegations” made by Mkhwanazi and that Masemola acted as both a complainant and decision-maker, creating bias.
The political killings task team was established in 2018 on the instruction of President Cyril Ramaphosa amid a surge of politically linked assassinations in KZN, particularly within local government and party structures.
Its mandate is to ensure perpetrators of politically motivated crimes are brought to justice.
Over 120 investigation dockets, many linked to these killings, have now been returned to KZN following claims they were removed from the province during the period of alleged interference.
Police management said the move was aimed at restoring the task team’s credibility and ensuring investigations proceed without national-level obstruction.
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