Pretoria – National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, attempted to assert control over criminal case dockets soon after his appointment in June 2023. Masemola delivered his testimony at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College on Tuesday.
Masemola outlined three main points of contention. First, Sibiya requested oversight of the South African Police Service’s cold case unit, responsible for unresolved criminal cases. Masemola described this request as unusual, noting the unit has historically reported directly to the office of the national police commissioner. He told Sibiya, “You have just been appointed, you have this elephant that you must deal with. So you can’t be looking for a piece of hair from the tail of the elephant.”
The second issue involved Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo. Sibiya insisted that Khumalo should not retain counter-intelligence dockets, arguing they should be reassigned to detectives. Masemola disagreed, saying the dockets were sensitive and should not be accessed by other officers.
The third point of dispute concerned the political killings task team (PKTT), whose disbandment by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is central to allegations of political interference and corruption. Masemola said Khumalo confirmed that the task team was “a well-oiled machine” requiring only occasional oversight, and that its work did not interfere with his Crime Intelligence duties.
Masemola also revealed that Sibiya sometimes bypassed the chain of command, reporting directly to Mchunu instead of the national commissioner. Allegations suggest that Sibiya and Mchunu colluded to disband the PKTT, protecting criminal syndicates in Gauteng. These claims involve businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who was denied bail last week in connection with the attempted murder of his former partner, Tebogo Thobejane.
After a lunch break, Masemola said he believed Sibiya sought control of all dockets under investigation. “If you have control of the whole terrain of dockets, then it means there is nothing that will fall outside that you won’t know, and you’ll be able to manage whatever you want. The reason is basically to show there is interest to have control – right from the beginning – of all case dockets.”
Sibiya was later investigated for instructing that the PKTT dockets be withdrawn and shelved at SAPS headquarters, obstructing investigations and defeating the ends of justice. Alleged associations with Matlala are also under investigation. Masemola said cellphone records suggested Sibiya acted to implement ministerial directives urgently, aligning with efforts to shield cartel members from ongoing investigations.
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