SA Police Service (SAPS) deputy national commissioner Lt‑Gen Shadrack Sibiya is said to have received millions in payments from Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala after he won a R360m tender with the police, a witness told the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Thursday.
The witness, whose identity was not revealed for safety reasons, told the commissioners about a recorded conversation the police had with Matlala when he was arrested on May 14. He was refused bail for attempted murder.
Matlala, in the conversation recorded during his arrest, narrated how he bankrolled Sibiya in gratitude for assisting him score the R360m tender. In exchange, he expected protection from the police.
The allegations against Sibiya strike at the heart of the commission’s work, which is probing allegations of criminal infiltration within the justice and security cluster.
The commission heard snippets of the audio recording of the police conversation with Matlala. He could be heard referring to Sibiya as “a criminal”.
Matlala told the officers he met Sibiya at the farm of former taxi boss Jotham “Mswazi” Msibi because he was a “regular visitor” at the farm. Msibi was described to the commission as a “ruthless” taxi boss.
Msibi, who owned a farm in Pretoria North and was a client of Matlala’s company CAT Security Services , is said to have died in January 2024.
“He [Matlala] said after Msibi passed, Sibiya approached him and said, ‘the old man has passed away; it means you will take care of me and I will take care of you’.” Matlala said Sibiya was referring to money.
Msibi, Matlala and murder accused Katiso Molefe have been identified as part of the “Big Five” cartel allegedly involved in drug trafficking, extortion, cross-border vehicle hijacking, cross-border vehicle theft and tender fraud.
Witness C said that when Sibiya wanted to buy a plot and turn it into a bed and breakfast, Matlala gave him R2m.
“He said in January 2025, Sibiya informed him he was buying a plot in Midrand and the plot was going to be registered under his wife’s name, and they were intending to convert that plot into a bed and breakfast. For that, Matlala gave Sibiya an amount of R2m towards the purchase. He indicated he personally gave Sibiya the money at the house in Sandton.”
Matlala told them he made regular cash payments to Sibiya because he allegedly assisted him to secure the three-year tender.
KwaZulu-Natal directorate for priority crime investigation (Hawks) provincial head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona is said to have assisted Matlala’s company Medicare24 to win the tender.
“He [Matlala] indicated that after every payment of the tender, a portion goes to Sibiya. He indicated that sometimes he would pay a total of R1m a month,” the witness said.
He said Matlala would drop off cash at Sibiya’s house and sometimes Sgt FE Nkosi, who worked in Sibiya’s office, would deliver money bags to Sibiya.
“He is somebody that when you give him money he stops everything,” Matlala could be heard in the recording saying about Sibiya.
Matlala said that in one of the alleged money transactions with Sibiya, he put R200,000 in the deputy national commissioner’s private bathroom in his office.
Matlala indicated that when Sibiya’s son was getting married he gave Sibiya R300,000.
“He said Sibiya loves money a lot,” the witness said.
Matlala exposed his relationship with Sibiya to police because Sibiya failed to protect him from being arrested by investigators from the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team, the witness told the commission.
“Matlala said after the police raid at his house on December 6 2024 he was promised actions by the SAPS would be defused. When we went again to his company in December 19 2024 he became more frustrated that despite Sibiya promising the police will not come again to his house, the team went to his business property. He indicated he was angry at Sibiya.”
The witness said Matlala referred to Sibiya as a “pitbull” and indicated if he turned against Sibiya “it would mean it would be the end of his [Matlala’s] life”.
Sibiya, during his testimony before the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing criminal syndicate infiltration in the police, said he knew Matlala as a service provider to the SAPS but did not know the exact details of the tender.
SAPS high-ranking crime intelligence official Maj-Gen Feroz Khan also allegedly asked Matlala to give him R2.3m when he faced disciplinary hearings at work, the witness said.
When Matlala was arrested he indicated he was coming from the house of former police national commissioner Riah Phiyega in Midrand. He was arrested when he stopped on the side of a road after he hit a pothole.
Sibiya is yet to testify before the commission.
The commission hearings continue on Monday.
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