Top cop Mkhwanazi’s testimony ties former police minister and deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya to SAPS corruption claims
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has implicated former police minister Bheki Cele in alleged dealings with attempted murder accused Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, telling the Madlanga commission that phone records show direct contact and “exchanges of monies”.
Testifying for a third day on Friday at the Madlanga commission of inquiry into criminality in the justice system, Mkhwanazi said Matlala’s phone records revealed communication with Cele dating back to December 2024, when Matlala held a R360m SA Police Service (SAPS) tender awarded during Cele’s tenure.
“I am not saying he had a role on that one [tender], but it is something interesting to look at. We see communication between Matlala and Cele which dates back to December 2024,” said Mkhwanazi.
“It is not only about the arrest of Matlala. There is communication prior to that and further evidence we have picked up and [there was an] exchange of monies and the likes. General Khumalo will elaborate more on that with the investigation team.
“It is interesting to know that Matlala and Cele have a relationship and money was exchanged.”
Arrest uncovers new evidence
Matlala was arrested in May this year after Gauteng police, working with the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team, conducted a search-and-seizure at his house on December 6.
While in prison, the police caught him with a phone, which was analysed. Some of Mkhwanazi’s allegations of criminal syndicate infiltration to the justice cluster is based on evidence uncovered from the phone.
Cele is yet to appear before the commission to respond to the allegations against him.
Mkhwanazi also told the commission that Cele did not “take seriously” a letter by a Johannesburg municipality senior official in 2022, which alleged deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya was facing allegations he received R3.5m in unlawful gratification.
The R3.5m was linked to Sibiya’s tenure as head of the city of Johannesburg’s forensic and investigations services from 2016-2022.
Mkhwanazi read a letter by former executive director in the city manager’s office, Mesuli Mlandu, in which he accused Sibiya of having unlawfully benefited.
“Concealment of evidence of corruption and fraud from the Hawks, which involves the employment of Sibiya, the head of department, forensic services, in receiving R3.5m of unlawful gratification and causing suffering of R580m of irregular expenditure,” said the letter.
Concerns over Sibiya appointment
In June 2022, Sibiya won a case against former mayor Thapelo Amad at the Johannesburg high court relating to the same contract.
The court ordered Amad to stop making statements implying Sibiya’s department improperly procured sophisticated surveillance technology for the purposes of spying on councillors.
If these allegations are proven, it will be disastrous to the police.
Mkhwanazi said, despite the allegations, Sibiya was appointed deputy national commissioner of crime detection in July 2023, a position he described as the “heart of the organisation”.
“The problem to me is that here is a person flagged as a risk coming into the SAPS. You are warned of a person you are about to employ who is questionable,” he said.
“If these allegations are proven, it will be disastrous for the police. At least with this warning, the management should have taken a decision of not placing this person in the heart of the police."
“His arrival in SAPS should have been a concern to everyone. But it looks like the organisation somehow did not take it seriously and placed him in that position.”
Central figure in SAPS troubles
Sibiya was appointed to the position under the leadership of national commissioner Fannie Masemola, while Cele was police minister at the time.
Here is a person flagged as a risk coming into the SAPS … the management should have taken a decision of not placing this person in the heart of the police.
Sibiya has been a central figure in Mkhwanazi’s case as he disbanded the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team under police minister Senzo Mchunu’s directive.
He issued instructions for 121 of the team’s dockets be moved from the province to the SAPS head office in Pretoria.
Mkhwanazi has testified that the disbandment of the team was motivated by their probe into high-profile murders.
Mkhwanazi said an analysis of phone records of Matlala showed that when the accused was sent an article about rumours of Masemola’s arrest, he said it was “good, because my guy” would take over the reins at the SAPS.
In another text, Matlala was sent a job advert post for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) head, before Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya retired, and said the position was “already given” to Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi described Sibiya as a central figure in trouble at the SAPS.
Sibiya has previously indicated he would respond to all allegations against him at the commission.
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