SAPS battle: Shadrack Sibiya insists he has done nothing wrong, and court will clear him
Deputy national commissioner for crime detection in the SA Police Service, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, on Tuesday, insisted that he has done nothing wrong and the courts will clear him.
A high-stakes court wrangle is about to start in Pretoria, as the outspoken Sibiya challenges his boss, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola’s decision to place him on leave of absence pending the ongoing investigations.
Sibiya was placed on leave last month following damning misconduct allegations from KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
On Tuesday, an upbeat Sibiya told journalists at the High Court in Pretoria that Masemola did not follow the law when he slapped him with the leave of absence.
“Even if you feel that perhaps I could be involved in something, there are processes, there are laws to be followed. You don’t just act willy-nilly,” said Sibiya.
“At this point in time, I am quite sure that this is what we are going to be ventilating here so that you could hear what is being discussed, the facts put on the table. Where I am standing, I am quite sure, quite confident that I have done nothing wrong. It is for the judge at the ultimate end to finally say whether I am guilty or not.
“I can tell you that I am waiting for a positive outcome. I do know that I am not involved in any wrongdoing. We will be cleared,” he said.
Last week, IOL reported that Masemola has served Sibiya with a notice of intended suspension or temporary transfer, giving him until Monday to respond.
This is despite Sibiya’s ongoing case to challenge the decision to place him on a leave of absence.
Sibiya was asked to take a leave of absence following explosive allegations by Mkhwanazi. Sibiya was accused of conspiring with embattled Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband the political killings task team.
Sibiya launched the application at the High Court in Pretoria seeking to have the decision to have him stay at home set aside.
However, on Tuesday, the court hearing did not take off, after Sibiya’s legal team made a request for the matter to be heard by a full bench of judges. The SABC reported that the matter would be heard on another date.
On the other hand, the Madlanga Commission has announced that its hearings, initially set to begin on 1 September 2025, will no longer commence on that date.
This is due to delays in the procurement of essential infrastructure by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
The Madlanga Commission was tasked with investigating criminality, political interference, and corruption within the criminal justice system.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System said the delay was beyond its control and stemmed from unmet commitments by the Department, which had previously assured the Commission that all necessary infrastructure would be procured in time for the hearings to start.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News