Deputy national police commissioner Lt‑Gen Shadrack Sibiya pressured Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to amend an affidavit with the court in which the attempted murder accused detailed their close relationship, a witness told the Madlanga commission.
Witness F, a police officer working closely with Sibiya and whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, also told the commission he assisted in attempting to conceal details about Sibiya’s relationship with Matlala when a journalist inquired about it in December 2024.
Witness F said he facilitated communication between Sibiya and Matlala. His testimony contradicts that of Sibiya, who told MPs that he knew Matlala only as a service provider to the South African Police Service.
Other witnesses before the commission have also testified that Matlala gave Sibiya large sums of money after he assisted Matlala’s Medicare24 company with a R360m tender for the police service.
The commission, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice system, also heard that Matlala paid senior police officers to protect him from prosecution.
Matlala, in an affidavit filed with the high court in Pretoria for a lawsuit against the state in December 2024, said he knew Sibiya.
”The police officers asked if I knew Gen Khan or Gen Sibiya, to which I answered that I know Gen Sibiya as he gave me permission to use the hospital at the SAPS College, Pretoria West, to conduct the medicals of the new recruits,” the affidavit reads.
Phone records before the commission reveal Sibiya called Witness F and forwarded the court document journalist Jeff Wicks gave to him after he had inquired about the relationship.
Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson put it to Witness F that the persistent calls from Sibiya and Matlala to him were to pressure Matlala to consult his attorneys to limit the damage and amend the affidavit before court.
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“I confirm,” the witness said.
After the phone calls from Witness F, Matlala sent a message to his attorneys to amend the statement.
“There’s a news article regarding a certain general in SAPS whom they are trying to associate with me. In our court application, I said I was told to ask him to grant us permission to use the hospital inside the Pretoria SAPS college from a certain brigadier,” the message from Matlala reads.
“The reason they referred me to him [Sibiya] is because at the time he was acting national commissioner, is there a way we can rectify the statement because now it looks like I am very close with him and he is even doing favours for me. Somehow that will compromise his reputation, and they are publishing the story on News24,” it reads.
Chaskalson put it to Witness F that Sibiya, through him, had pressured Matlala to hide the nature of their relationship.
“Matlala said something that was truthful. He [Sibiya] spoke to you to get Matlala to obfuscate that fact. Under pressure Matlala then fudged,” Chaskalson said.
“I agree,” Witness F responded.
The witness also gave evidence that in September 2024 Sibiya invited Matlala to a thanksgiving event at his home.
“Ask Cat to make a turn,” another of Sibiya’s messages to Witness F reads.
At Sibiya’s house Matlala met SAPS organised crime investigation boss Maj-Gen Richard Shibiri, who also faces allegations of exchanging money with Matlala.
His alleged involvement will be investigated by the special task team to be appointed by national police commissioner Fannie Masemola.
Sibiya and Shibiri are yet to testify before the commission.
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