By Palesa Matlala
· Suspended cop Shadrack Sibiya is demanding a chance to question fellow officers who linked him to bribes and crime kingpins.
· He also wants to challenge WhatsApp messages said to show he met with suspects linked to political murders in KwaZulu-Natal.
Suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya is fighting back.
He wants the chance to cross-examine police bosses who accused him of corruption and of wrecking a top unit that was investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
Sibiya is at the center of a growing storm after provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told the Madlanga Commission that Sibiya helped dissolve the Political Killings Task Team, a group meant to track down suspects behind a wave of political murders.
Mkhwanazi said Sibiya acted with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to shut down the task team to protect organised crime bosses.
The team had been tasked with solving cases of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and intimidation linked to political violence.
Soon after the claims, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola suspended Sibiya, who had already been placed on leave pending an internal hearing.
In October 2025, Sibiya’s home in Centurion was raided. Police seized phones and other devices as part of the ongoing probe.
Masemola later testified that Sibiya had a close relationship with alleged drug boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is facing attempted murder charges.
At the commission, police played a recording in which Matlala said he had made several cash payments to Sibiya, including R300,000 for Sibiya’s son’s wedding and R2-million for land.
Now Sibiya wants to take the stand to give his side of the story.
He says he should be allowed to question Mkhwanazi about WhatsApp messages between Matlala and another figure, Brown Mogotsi. The messages, taken from Matlala’s phone while he was in prison, reportedly refer to meetings with Sibiya and Mchunu.
But Sibiya has told Parliament’s ad-hoc committee that the messages are fake, and says he’s ready to prove it.
