Masemola yet to receive summons for imminent Judicial Commission of Inquiry
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola said he has not yet been asked to testify before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged corruption and political interference within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Speaking on the sidelines of a R420 million drug destruction operation in Gauteng on Thursday, Masemola confirmed that he has not been contacted to appear before the commission, which begins its work on September 1.
“On the issue of the commission – yes, we heard that it will start soon. We will wait for the call. When we get the call, we will go. We won’t be hesitant to go, so that’s basically where we are,” Masemola said.
Masemola, who heads the South African Police Service (SAPS), is widely expected to be called before the commission.
The inquiry, led by former Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is set to begin public hearings into explosive allegations that criminal syndicates have infiltrated law enforcement and the broader justice system.
The Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System confirmed this week that it has finalised its venue and will commence with the hearings as scheduled on September 1.
Last month, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made damning allegations that implicated senior officials, including the now-suspended SAPS Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi accused Sibiya of colluding with information dealer Brown Mogotsi and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu in an alleged scheme to dismantle the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
According to Mkhwanazi, the disbandment – ordered by Mchunu in March – resulted in the withdrawal of 121 active dockets, many linked to politically motivated assassinations.
He submitted WhatsApp messages, internal SAPS documents, and cellphone records as evidence of a coordinated effort to undermine the unit.
Mchunu, in a letter dated December 2024 to Masemola, claimed the unit had “outlived its usefulness.”
In response to the allegations, President Cyril Ramaphosa established the judicial commission and placed Mchunu on special leave.
Ramaphosa also appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia, as acting police minister.
Masemola placed Sibiya on special leave shortly after the allegations surfaced.
However, in a new escalation, Sibiya is demanding to be reinstated, threatening legal action if Masemola does not comply.
The letter refers to a notice dated Wednesday that calls on Sibiya to submit written representations in response to a possible suspension or temporary transfer – despite already being suspended.
“Our client has provided us with a document titled ‘Notice of intended suspension or temporary transfer in terms of Regulation 10(2) of the South African Police Service Discipline Regulations, 2016’, which he received at 20:30 on 20 August 2025,” the lawyers stated.
They argue the new notice is procedurally flawed and accuse Masemola of acting in bad faith. They also claim the SAPS’s actions could interfere with the court’s ability to rule fairly, suggesting a finding of contempt could be warranted.
The attorneys demanded that Masemola withdraw the notice by 10am on Friday, abandon opposition to Sibiya’s legal application, cover Sibiya’s legal costs, and consent to the relief being sought.
Failure to comply, they warned, would result in further court action to interdict the suspension process and seek a punitive costs order on an attorney-and-client scale.
“This letter is sent with prejudice, and it, together with any replies thereto, may be disclosed to the court hearing this matter as necessary and appropriate,” they wrote.
Sibiya first launched his legal challenge a month ago in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where he claimed Masemola had previously admitted to violating due process in the suspension procedure.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics