Johannesburg – Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya has been remanded in custody after appearing in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on charges including rape, human trafficking and the sexual grooming of a child.
Sibiya, 59, appeared in court on Tuesday following his arrest on Monday by members of the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team.
The matter was postponed to 29 September for a formal bail application, which the State intends to oppose.
According to The South African, Sibiya faces five charges involving alleged incidents between May and August 2026. He remains in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre.
TimesLIVE reported that the charges include rape, trafficking in persons and sexual grooming, with the State alleging that Sibiya communicated with a 16-year-old girl and asked her to send explicit material via WhatsApp.
The State also alleges that Sibiya raped an 18-year-old woman in May after taking her and friends to a Sandton strip club. IOL reported that prosecutors allege the woman was heavily intoxicated when the alleged rape occurred.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago explains that suspended deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya faces sexual grooming, human trafficking and rape charges
Sibiya has been taken to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional facility… pic.twitter.com/jH9x6bZnTU
— Kaya News (@KayaNews) September 22, 2026
State to oppose bail
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that the State would oppose Sibiya’s release.
“The bail application will happen on the 29th of September,” Kganyago said, adding that prosecutors were opposing bail based on information placed before the court.
EWN reported that the State has raised concerns about possible witness intimidation.
“You might have heard that they might be [other] people working with him to try and intimidate the witnesses,” Kganyago said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigators had gathered sufficient evidence before bringing the case to court.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of more victims coming forward,” Mathe said, urging anyone who may have been victimised to approach police.
Shadrack Sibiya Appears In Court On Five Charges Including R*pe
Suspended Deputy National Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court today, Tuesday facing five charges, including r*pe, trafficking in persons and s**xual grooming… pic.twitter.com/IpM9jnFJKx
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) September 22, 2026
She added that the arrest demonstrated that police would act against senior members of their own ranks where evidence warranted prosecution.
“The fact that it is us that arrested our own and we brought the matter before court does showcase that we are quite serious with obviously dealing decisively with GBVF within our ranks,” Mathe said.
Sibiya has not entered a plea, and the allegations against him have not been tested in court. He remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
