Cape Town – Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has accused KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of exploiting corruption claims within the police service as part of a succession battle for top leadership positions in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Testifying before Parliament’s ad hoc committee in Cape Town on Tuesday, Sibiya rejected Mkhwanazi’s allegations that he and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu conspired to disband the KZN Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) to protect criminal syndicates.
He insisted that the task team’s dockets were properly transferred to SAPS headquarters and that the decision was approved by National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, contradicting Masemola’s earlier testimony that he was unaware of the move.
Shadrack Sibiya claims KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi deceived the nation in July. He says if he were to have made similar remarks, he would have been immediately dismissed. Sibiya says the country has created a monster that no one is able to control. #DStv403… pic.twitter.com/I94xXKIY0R
— eNCA (@eNCA) October 15, 2025
Sibiya denied acting unilaterally, saying he followed official directives and that claims of corruption against him were “false and contrived.”
He accused Mkhwanazi of misleading the public and manipulating perceptions for political gain, arguing that many of the PKTT dockets were already inactive.
He also suggested that Mkhwanazi’s actions — including his public briefings and strong social media presence — were designed to build personal popularity rather than accountability, warning Parliament that the police chief was becoming “a monster that no one can control.”
[ICYMI]
Suspended Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya, told the Ad Hoc Committee that attacks and smear campaigns against him could be linked to intentions to prevent him from running for top positions. #AdHodCommittee pic.twitter.com/lC8UBzUqbP— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 15, 2025
DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach raised concerns that the ongoing feud may be less about fighting corruption and more about a power struggle ahead of Masemola’s retirement, a view Sibiya agreed with, calling it a “battle for the top job.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
