Deputy national commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya. Photo: X
At the Madlanga commission last week, crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo detailed infighting between police units in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal when a murder investigation unravelled links to criminal syndicates.
Khumalo’s testimony added more detail around the arrest of murder co-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Katiso Molefe and the 31 December letter sent by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband a task team on political killings based in KwaZulu-Natal.
The head of crime intelligence’s testimony contrasts that of deputy national commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya, who told parliament’s ad hoc committee on corruption in the criminal justice system — which is running parallel to the Madlanga inquiry — that the current police scuffle was part of a succession battle within the South African Police Service (SAPS.
Sibiya has said the task team operated without oversight, had outlived its purpose and that the 121 dockets he removed from it were “gathering dust”. He added that KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s July media briefing implicating Mchunu and himself in corruption was a “preemptive strike” in the race to succeed Fannie Masemola as national police commissioner.
Several witnesses have accused Sibiya of involvement with criminal cartels. His name featured in multiple WhatsApp messages found on Matlala and Molefe’s phones. It is believed he operationalised the Gauteng police to protect the pair when the task team made arrests.
Sibiya is also accused of implementing Mchunu’s disbandment letter, overstepping Masemola, but he told the ad hoc committee he planned to enhance the murder and robbery unit to do the work the task team was performing.
Anonymous police witnesses have told the commission chaired by retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga that Sibiya promoted Gauteng head of organised crime Richard Shibiri, who is accused of ordering the redoing of a ballistics report on 15 gun cartridges found at the murder scene of Armand Swart, a Vereeniging engineer mistaken for a whistleblower in a Transnet tender scandal linked to Molefe and Matlala.
Evidence has emerged of the exchange of money between Shibiri and Sibiya during the latter’s son’s wedding. Shibiri is also accused of setting up meet-up parties to sway officers Witness A and B — who testified earlier at the Madlanga commission — in a murder case linked to Molefe and Matlala.
After the search and seizure arrest at Matlala’s residence, Khumalo said he faced allegations of theft from Matlala, who drafted an affidavit with the assistance of Sibiya. He said Matlala had informed former police minister Bheki Cele that Sibiya instigated the theft charges.
Cele told the ad hoc committee that Matlala expressed frustration at the relationship with Mchunu and felt he was being used for the police minister’s ANC presidential campaign.
Further disagreements between Khumalo and Sibiya concerned the appointment of a panel to fill vacancies in the crime intelligence unit following Mchunu’s letter. Sibiya rejected Khumalo’s list of panellists and appointed his own.
Witnesses have told the commission that the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) was instigated to file charges against Khumalo for irregular staff appointments in his division.
While Sibiya argued that the political killings task team had outlived its function, Khumalo said progress was made, including discussions on a dedicated court and prison for high-level cartel leaders, accompanied by bail reform and new investigative methods — all of which have since stalled.
Khumalo told the commission he learnt about the team’s disbandment via social media, adding that the only thing he could do was advocate for its continuation. He defended the unit’s investigative methods and argued that they should be adopted nationwide.
He said the new policing methods arose from discussions with Mkhwanazi that traditional methods should be replaced with more effective “analysis-driven and prosecutor-led investigations”. Khumalo said ten members of the task team with this modern police expertise were deployed to assist the Gauteng organised crime unit in the investigation of Swart’s murder.
Sabelo Wanda, evidence team leader of the KZN task team, told the commission his ballistics team uncovered links to at least 20 murders in Gauteng from the gun cartridges found in the Swart case. Witness A said attempts were made to arrange a meeting with him and Sibiya during the course of the investigations.
Mchunu has defended the disbandment before the ad hoc committee, saying he was implementing the recommendation of a police research study. He added that his December letter did not say anything about the 121 dockets removed by Sibiya, which were subsequently returned by acting police minister Firoz Cachalia.
Cachalia told the ad hoc committee on Wednesday that there may have been valid reasons to disband the task team, but Mchunu should have consulted widely. He supported the argument to enhance the murder and robbery unit made by Mchunu and Sibiya, adding that task teams are established for a limited period.