By Johnathan Paoli
All eyes will be on suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya when he appears before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Monday, as the inquiry into political interference, corruption, and misconduct within the South African Police Service (SAPS) enters a dramatic new phase.
The high-profile hearing comes after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi implicated Sibiya in the controversial disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a specialised unit established to investigate politically motivated assassinations in the province.
“I was hoping that this would go that way, where I’ll be given a chance as well to participate, but along the way, I can also see the anger in General Mkhwanazi, the vengeance… Even when he speaks, I would think that he has passed me, but every five seconds, he would go back to me again,” Sibiya said during the raid on Friday.
The task team’s dismantling, allegedly ordered by Sibiya, has sparked outrage, prompting questions about the erosion of command authority and the politicisation of the SAPS.
Sibiya’s name has surfaced repeatedly in recent testimony.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola confirmed tensions between his office and Sibiya, while Mkhwanazi accused him of acting beyond his authority and even plotting against the national commissioner.
The suspended deputy police boss’s home was raided by investigators on Thursday, adding to the sense of crisis gripping the institution.
At the heart of the allegations is the claim that Sibiya went ahead with the disbandment of the PKTT despite being warned not to by Masemola, who had raised concerns about a directive issued by now-suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu in December last year.
According to Mkhwanazi’s sworn testimony, Sibiya allegedly ordered that key case dockets be removed from KwaZulu-Natal and transferred to SAPS headquarters in Pretoria, without the knowledge or authorisation of Masemola.
During Wednesday’s committee sitting, Mkhwanazi detailed a series of troubling communications allegedly linking Sibiya to political figures.
He said a Deputy Minister had been in direct contact with Sibiya about efforts to remove Masemola from office.
WhatsApp messages submitted to the committee reportedly show Sibiya referring to R13 million worth of spyware procured by the Crime Intelligence unit without proper procurement procedures, and advising that “comrade Mathebula” be briefed on the matter.
IFP MP Albert Mncwango pressed the issue on Friday, suggesting that the controversial letter disbanding the PKTT may not have originated from Mchunu’s office.
Masemola’s testimony on Thursday added a new layer of complexity.
Under questioning from evidence leader Norman Arendse, Masemola acknowledged long-standing disputes between Sibiya and Mkhwanazi, particularly over jurisdiction and authority in KwaZulu-Natal.
The saga intensified when Sibiya’s home was searched last week.
Speaking outside his residence with his lawyer, Ian Levitt, the suspended general expressed frustration and fear.
Levitt said they were not given the affidavit that justified the raid, describing the search as heavy-handed.
Sibiya accused his superiors of betrayal, particularly Masemola, and claimed that the case against him was politically motivated.
Sibiya’s upcoming appearance is expected to be one of the most consequential sessions yet in the inquiry that has already rocked the SAPS.
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