Sibiya flays police boss Masemola

Suspended deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya intensified his defence before theMadlanga Commissionthis week, laying blame for the recent turmoil in the service on national commissionerFannie Masemola. Sibiya rejected allegations that he unlawfully removed121 case docketsfrom a task team on political killings after suspended Police MinisterSenzo Mchunudisbanded it. The intention behind the dismantling of the team was to strengthen the murder and robbery unit, Sibiya said, further denying any involvement in corruption or links to alleged criminal cartels.

Masemola previously told the commission set up to investigate allegations of corruption and political interference in policing that he and Sibiya had “points of contention” regarding oversight of the political killings task team (PKTT), particularly over whether crime intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo should continue supervising it. This week Sibiya described that characterisation as “concerning and quite frankly disturbing”, insisting he was simply discharging his official duties when removing the 121 case dockets, which were later returned by acting police ministerFiroz Cachalia. “My position was premised on the operational reality that the crime intelligence division was suffering the consequences of General Khumalo’s extensive involvement with the PKTT,” Sibiya said, accusing Masemola of attempting to isolate him as an individual who acted outside proper operational procedures.

“Properly understood, the national commissioner’s complaint against me is not a bona fide complaint. It is contrived, selective in its focus and premised on an incomplete account of the events leading to the disestablishment of the PKTT.” Earlier in the week, Sibiya described what he called asustained campaign to remove himfrom the South African Police Service (SAPS), including more than 20 criminal cases opened against him in the past and allegations ranging from fraud to high treason. He argued that he is being politically targeted and subjected to a “trial by media”.

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On Thursday, Sibiya told the commission that a criminal case was opened against him shortly after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing in July last year in which he implicated Mchunu and Sibiya in political interference and corruption. Sibiya was subsequently charged with defeating the ends of justice, fraud and corruption for ordering the removal of the 121 case dockets from the political killings task team. Under a search and seizure warrant, his phones and laptop were taken into police custody.

Sibiya said the public manner in which the matter unfolded caused significant reputational harm to him. He argued that accountability for case dockets falls under his office as deputy national commissioner for crime detection and maintained that he was acting within his jurisdiction when he directed the removal of the task team ones.

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