Police deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya has refuted allegations he stalled the unresolved investigation into the kidnapping of Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s associate Jerry Boshoga.
Sibiya, testifying at the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Wednesday, also denied being “close friends” with Matlala.
The top cop in charge of the country’s police service for crime detection faces allegations of being linked to criminal syndicates and receiving money from Matlala.
The commission is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice cluster, including claims Matlala bankrolled Sibiya in return for protection from prosecution.
Matlala’s Medicare24 had a R360m tender with the SAPS.
Sibiya’s boss, Gen Fannie Masemola, previously testified at the commission that the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team (PKTT) was called to Gauteng to assist in Boshoga’s case after a whistleblower reported the case could be stalled because Matlala was a close friend of Sibiya.
Matlala was a person of interest in the Boshoga case. Boshoga was Matlala’s former business partner and owed him money. Boshoga was kidnapped in 2024, and his kidnappers demanded a multimillion-rand ransom.
Sibiya told the commission he pushed investigators to leave no stone unturned in solving Boshoga’s case. His involvement in the case came after a relative of Boshoga working in the presidency complained to him, he said.
“If there were genuine concerns about my involvement, why were there no steps taken to remove me from the case?” he said.
He said the team he consolidated to solve the case was removed from it in December 2025. This, according to him, proved there were no real concerns about his involvement in the case.
Witnesses before the commission testified Sibiya had a close relationship with Matlala, including receiving impalas, cash and about R2m to buy a property from Matlala.
Sibiya also invited Matlala to a thanksgiving event at his home in September 2024.
“No credible evidence has been produced to support that I am friends with Matlala,” Sibiya contended.
“In fact, I was introduced to Matlala as a service provider.”
He said he was introduced to Matlala in January 2024 when Matlala came to see him, asking for assistance to use the SAPS facilities in Tshwane for health screening of officers by Medicare24.
His evidence contradicts that of an officer working in his office, Witness F, who testified Sibiya had a close relationship with Matlala.
Sibiya also testified that Masemola agreed with the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team (PKTT).
The disbandment of the task team is a focal point for the commission based on allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi alleged Sibiya supported the disbandment decision because the team was investigating Matlala.
Sibiya also faces allegations of proceeding with the disbandment of the task team without approval from his superior, Masemola.
He, however, told the commission that in disbanding the team, he followed instructions from Masemola’s office.
Witnesses before the commission have alleged the team was disbanded by police minister Senzo Mchunu because it was investigating criminal syndicates with links to SAPS’ upper echelons and politicians.
Sibiya told the commission he was “surprised” when Masemola testified about being “surprised” by the instruction of disbanding the team on December 31 2024, sent to his office by Mchunu.
Sibiya said Masemola was part of discussions with Mchunu in which the lifespan of the task team was discussed almost two months before the New Year’s Eve letter.
“The national commissioner testified the minister’s directive to de-establish the PKTT came as a complete surprise to him.
“However, I wish to draw the commissioner’s attention to a meeting held [on] November 1 2024 at the SAPS academy in Tshwane,” Sibiya said.
“In this meeting, minister Mchunu directed the executive committee of the SAPS to reconsider certain operational capabilities, including the PKTT, on the basis that these task teams were said to duplicate capabilities already existing elsewhere in the SAPS.”
He said Masemola in that meeting explained the KwaZulu-Natal task team was a temporary operational team.
“The commissioner’s [Masemola’s] assertion that the de-establishment of the PKTT came as a surprise to him is, with respect, difficult to reconcile with events preceding the directive and warrants careful scrutiny by the commission.
“He could not have been surprised because he participated in the discussions, and there are minutes in that regard.”
Sibiya denied he had ordered the withdrawal of 121 dockets from the team in March 2025; he testified he was following the instructions of Masemola’s office after the disbandment letter.
Masemola previously conceded that though he did not agree with the decision to disband the team, he did not contest it. He said he opted for a slow breakdown of the team.
Masemola testified he did not approve of Sibiya’s approach to the disbandment.
“We were working together in this thing,” Sibiya told the commission, rebutting his boss’s testimony.
“This was not something that happened overnight.”
He continues with his testimony on Thursday.
Update: February 18 2026
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