A week before the Madlanga commission of inquiry is scheduled to start, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and national deputy police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya are due in court.
On Tuesday the high court in Pretoria will hear an application by Sibiya to reverse his suspension pending the outcome of the Madlanga commission, which is tasked with probing irregularities and corruption in the criminal justice system.
Timeline: Masemola vs Sibiya Court Case
-
July 2025
Police commissioner Fannie Masemola directs Shadrack Sibiya to stay at home pending an investigation into political killings task team dockets.
-
25 July 2025
Sibiya files an urgent high court application to have the suspension declared unlawful and to be reinstated.
-
20 Aug 2025
In court papers, Masemola admits he did not follow SAPS disciplinary regulations when suspending Sibiya.
-
21 Aug 2025
Sibiya’s lawyers issue an ultimatum demanding reinstatement by Friday, or they will escalate legal action. Masemola serves a new “intended suspension” notice.
-
22 Aug 2025
Sibiya asks the high court to interdict Masemola from running parallel proceedings while the Madlanga commission investigates systemic issues.
-
Ongoing
Case continues in the Pretoria high court. The Madlanga commission prepares to begin hearings into alleged SAPS corruption and political interference.
Masemola asked Sibiya to take a leave of absence after explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that Sibiya was accused of taking the dockets from the political killings task team to his office. The allegations by Mkhwanazi led to police minister Senzo Mchunu being placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa, with Firoz Cachalia temporarily appointed in his position.
Cachalia’s appointment is being challenged in court by former president Jacob Zuma. The application to have the appointment set aside will be heard by the high court in Pretoria on Tuesday. The Constitutional Court earlier tuned down Zuma’s application, saying that the application did not engage the court’s jurisdiction.
Also on Tuesday, the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) will brief the media on preparations for the 2026 local government elections. The briefing follows July interviews conducted by a panel chaired by chief justice Mandisa Maya to identify replacements for three commissioners whose terms expire in November, including that of IEC chair Mosotho Moepya. The panel recommended eight candidates, among them Moepya and judge Dhaya Pillay, for parliament to consider.
The department of trade, industry & competition leads a five-day outward selling mission to Nigeria and Ghana from August 25 to 29, taking 15 SA companies to Lagos and Accra to promote exports in mining equipment, ICT, metals fabrication and agro-processing.
The mission comes as Pretoria accelerates diversification away from traditional partners such as the US. The mission also aligns with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to boost intra-African commerce and reduce barriers across the continent.
“The AfCFTA provides a platform to transform intra-African trade by reducing barriers and promoting value-added exports. Through initiatives like this outward selling mission, the [department] is ensuring that SA companies are equipped and supported to expand into new markets and build sustainable partnerships across the continent,” the department said in a statement.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.