By Lonwabo Mtyeku (GP News Media – Community Newsroom) | Johannesburg / Cape Town | 13 October 2025
A cloud of controversy thickened over the South African Police Service (SAPS) today as suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya appears before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Policing Integrity and Oversight. His testimony marks a pivotal moment in the country’s widening probe into corruption, internal power struggles, and alleged political interference within SAPS — the very institution tasked with upholding the law.
The hearing, described by insiders as one of the most consequential since the early days of the Zondo Commission, follows a string of explosive allegations that have pitted some of the police service’s most senior commanders against each other in a battle over integrity, control, and accountability.
A Clash of Command: The Mkhwanazi Allegations
Central to the inquiry are claims by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accuses Sibiya of improper interference in operational matters, including the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) — a specialist unit investigating politically motivated murders that have plagued KwaZulu-Natal for years.
Mkhwanazi alleges that Sibiya’s actions, which reportedly contravened standing orders and internal approvals, undermined the fight against political violence and weakened investigative continuity. In his testimony to Parliament, Mkhwanazi further cited “undue manipulation” of crime intelligence structures, claiming Sibiya orchestrated operational decisions outside his official remit.
Sources close to the inquiry confirmed that National Police Commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola had previously cautioned against dismantling the PKTT, citing its critical role in stabilizing politically volatile regions.
Security Operation Raises Questions
The tension escalated dramatically just days before Sibiya’s parliamentary appearance, when the Hawks and Crime Intelligence executed a search and seizure operation at his Centurion home.
Investigators confiscated several electronic devices in connection with allegations of defeating the ends of justice — a move that Sibiya’s legal team has condemned as “procedurally questionable” and “premature.”
His attorney, Ian Levitt, has demanded full disclosure of the affidavit authorizing the raid, arguing that the process “failed to meet the threshold of transparency and necessity expected of such an intrusive action.”
The operation has since ignited debate within legal and political circles over whether the timing was intended to intimidate or discredit the embattled general ahead of his testimony.
Inside the Allegations: Dockets, Deals, and Digital Shadows
Beyond the task team controversy, Sibiya faces three primary lines of inquiry that together paint a portrait of internal dysfunction at the highest levels of SAPS:
- Disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT)
– Alleged unilateral action that disrupted high-profile investigations into political assassinations. - Unlawful Removal of Case Dockets
– Accusations that Sibiya ordered sensitive KZN case files be relocated to Pretoria without provincial oversight, breaching standard chain-of-custody protocols. - Crime Intelligence Overreach and Procurement Irregularities
– Claims of unauthorized procurement of surveillance technology worth over R13 million, coupled with allegations of “inner circle” coordination with political figures through encrypted communication channels.
According to parliamentary insiders, WhatsApp transcripts and internal memos submitted to the committee suggest “a network of influence” operating across operational and political lines — evidence, they say, of deep-rooted factionalism within the SAPS command structure.
Masemola’s Shadow
Adding complexity to the saga is National Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s own testimony earlier in the hearings. Masemola detailed months of strained relations with Sibiya, describing “structural overreach” and “defiance of reporting hierarchies” that, he claimed, eroded unity within the top ranks.
Analysts believe the Masemola-Sibiya clash reflects a broader battle for control of SAPS’s intelligence and operational apparatus — one with profound political implications as the 2026 local elections loom.
A System on Trial
As Sibiya faced questions in Parliament today, the stakes were clear: this is no longer just about one man’s alleged misconduct, but about the integrity of South Africa’s policing system itself.
Observers from civil society and policing think-tanks, including the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), say the inquiry represents a crucial test for parliamentary oversight.
“This hearing is about truth and reform,” said one senior analyst. “What we’re witnessing is a public reckoning — an attempt to confront the culture of impunity that has haunted the police for over a decade.”
A Nation Watching
As proceedings continue, Sibiya is expected to methodically rebut each allegation, insisting that his actions were guided by “operational necessity” and a “commitment to restore public trust.”
For Parliament, however, the real question is whether today’s testimony will unearth accountability or deepen the cracks within South Africa’s policing establishment.
In the packed committee chamber — where uniformed officers, legal counsel, and political observers sat shoulder to shoulder — one truth was undeniable: the storm around Shadrack Sibiya has become a mirror for the turbulence within SAPS itself.
For now, the nation watches as one of its most senior police figures walks into a hearing room — and possibly, into history.
Sources: Inside Politic, EWN, News24, IOL, BusinessLIVE, ENCA
(Compiled and verified across multiple parliamentary and media briefings as of 13 October 2025