Sibiya accuses MK Party of political influence in corruption allegations against him

Police deputy national commissioner Lt-GenShadrack Sibiyahas alleged theMK Partyhad a hand in the build-up of the corruption allegations levelled against him by KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Sibiya made the claim during his testimony before theMadlanga commission of inquiry, investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice cluster, on Wednesday. Sibiya, second in charge of the country’s police service, faces allegations of being linked tocriminal syndicatesand receiving money from Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.

Matlala’s Medicare24 had a R360m tender with the South African Police Service (SAPS). Sibiya told the commission there was political influence in the allegations levelled against him from the country’s biggest opposition party, MK Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma. He pins the assertion on the testimony of former executive director in thecity manager’s office, Mesuli Mlandu, before parliament in which he admitted to knowing MK Party MP Colleen Makhubele.

In 2022 Mlandu wrote a letter to minister Bheki Cele that alleged Sibiya was facing allegations he had received R3.5m in unlawful gratification. The R3.5m was linked to Sibiya’s tenure as head of the City of Johannesburg’s forensic and investigations services from 2016 to 2022. “Concealment of evidence of corruption and fraud from the Hawks, which involves the employment of Sibiya, the head of department, forensic services, in receiving R3.5m of unlawful gratification and causing suffering of R580m of irregular expenditure,” said the letter.

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Mlandu’s letter was part of the corruption allegations levelled against Sibiya by Mkhwanazi. It is Sibiya’s case thatMlandu, through links to Makhubele, a former city of Joburg speaker, was able to meet Mkhwanazi and brief him on the claims. “I was expected to answer questions in parliament from the MK Party, which opened a case against me,” he said.

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