Johannesburg – Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has reportedly asked the Madlanga Commission for permission to cross-examine colleagues who have implicated him in corruption and interference allegations.
Sibiya was suspended after KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused him of working with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband the political killings task team (PKTT), allegedly to obstruct investigations into organised crime.
Following the accusations, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola suspended Sibiya and police later raided his Centurion home, seizing electronic devices.
According to The Citizen, at the commission, witnesses, including Mkhwanazi and Masemola claimed Sibiya had close ties with alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who reportedly admitted to paying Sibiya R300,000 for his son’s wedding and R2 million for land.
[WATCH] Masemola testifies that a “concerned party” told him that Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya is “close” with businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. He adds, “This person also said that Matlala is one of my deputies and I’m just not… pic.twitter.com/LyIwyxumrc
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 22, 2025
Sibiya denies these claims and says his reputation is at stake if he cannot question his accusers.
Sunday Times revealed that Sibiya has applied to the commission for consent to cross-examine Masemola.
In his October 10 affidavit, Sibiya accused Masemola of misleading the public and also sought to cross-examine Mkhwanazi about WhatsApp messages allegedly linking him, Mchunu, and businessman Brown Mogotsi to Matlala — messages he disputes as fake.
“I respectfully submit that I will suffer serious and irreparable prejudice if I am denied the opportunity to cross-examine [General] Masemola,” the report quoted Sibiya as saying in his affidavit.
“My professional and public reputation will be unjustly damaged.”
Sibiya has already testified before Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing corruption and interference in the justice system.
A long-serving police officer, Sibiya previously led the Hawks in Gauteng, was fired in 2015 over an alleged illegal rendition case, and later reinstated in 2022 before being promoted to Deputy National Commissioner in 2023.
He has faced past corruption allegations, which he has consistently denied.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
