‘How do you know?’ – Shibiri discusses ‘group of five’ at Madlanga commission

Major-General Richard Shibiri testifies at Madlanga Commission Of Inquiry on March 11, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu The group of five was the subject of discussion at the Madlanga commission on Friday, where suspended organised crime head Major-General Richard Shibiri denied that some of the names were part of the group. Discussions centred on a recording of a phone call between Shibiri and Witness A, which took place in December 2024 and in which Shibiri shared information he claimed to have received from a source.

Witness C previously defined the group of five as “the people who are in control of the activities that are happening in the government, the Saps, actually, each and every government department that they have full control and oversight of. It’s a criminal world that wields more control over the government, as we understand it.” The name of businessman Ze Nxumalo, said to be close to Julius Malema, who is allegedly close to suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, came up on Friday. Another name, Joe, said to be leading the taxi industry following Msibi’s death, came up.

However, Shibiri insisted the two were not members of the group of five. “They were a group of five partners, according to information. The information I got is that the arrested person belonged to the group of the deceased.

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And they were about five, they also have companies.” He said he did not know who the other two members were, though insisting that Nxumalo and Joe were not them. “How do you know there are five if you don’t know about the other two?” asked evidence leader Lee Segeels-Ncube. Shibiri responded: “That is what I was told, that there were five.

And then I happened to know the other three names, which I was informed. I remember even before, the source indicated to me that they arrested three. Then other names, which I’m not informed about, I don’t know.

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