Madlanga Commission | ‘I was not involved in PKTT matters’ – Sibiya

Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, has denied any involvement in matters relating to the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Sibiya made the remarks before the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday, saying responsibility for the task team lay with then Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, and former Hawks boss Godfrey Lebeya.

The commission heard that Sibiya was the official who signed off on the disbandment of the task team in January last year, following a directive issued by Mchunu in December 2024.

Sibiya told the commission that Masemola had abruptly sent him an email instructing him to notify the relevant structures, saying that was how he became involved in PKTT matters.

He maintained that he acted strictly on instructions from Masemola and played no independent role in the decision-making process.

Sibiya also distanced himself from the transfer of 121 case dockets from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial office to the National Headquarters, saying he was only informed of the move after it had already taken place.

He further told the commission that after instructing that the dockets be returned to their respective units, he was informed that KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had refused to accept them.

Sibiya says he finds it difficult to reconcile Masemola’s earlier testimony, which claimed that the disbandment of the PKTT came as a complete surprise to him.

Sibiya told the commission about a meeting held at the SAPS Pretoria Academy in November 2024, which focused on Human Resources (HR) matters and South African Police Service (SAPS) organisational structures.

He said the meeting was attended by Masemola, Mchunu, two deputy ministers, and both deputy national commissioners, including himself.

According to Sibiya, Mchunu instructed the executive to review operational capabilities — including the PKTT — on the basis that some units were duplicating functions already existing within the SAPS.

Sibiya further recalled Masemola stating during the meeting that the task team was never intended to be a permanent structure, but rather a temporary unit created for a specific purpose.

Sibiya says claims by Masemola that he instructed PKTT matters be handled exclusively by him — are intended to advance a narrative that he acted without authority, maintaining that the SAPS executive committee — including Masemola — was aware of the impending decision.

The commission heard that the directive to review and disband the PKTT surfaced in December 2024 and was formally signed off in January 2025.

Sibiya recalled Masemola’s earlier testimony, in which the national commissioner said that after discussions with Sibiya, he engaged General Khumalo to prepare a preliminary report in line with the minister’s directive issued on 31 December 2024.

According to Sibiya, Masemola further claimed that because the instruction emanated directly from him, it took precedence over Sibiya’s instruction to formally disband the task team in January 2025.

Sibiya told the commission he was pained by what he described as the realisation that Masemola appeared to be competing with him on decision-making, insisting that he was merely following instructions from his superior.

“It pains me to see where the national commissioner compares himself to me. I am his subordinate. I report to him. He is my boss. He can’t say he gave an instruction and I also gave an instruction and that this instruction took precedence of his because he’s the national commissioner. Whatever that I wrote or submitted all came from the office of the national commissioner. If he was not in agreement with the letter, he should have said so,” Sibiya said.

Sibiya added that under normal circumstances, Masemola would openly express dissatisfaction with SAPS operations and provide guidance on implementation — something he says did not happen in this instance, which he finds baffling.

Sibiya also denied allegations that he was involved in acts of high treason and espionage in December 2016.

He told the commission that the former Gauteng head of the Hawks, Major General Prince Mokotedi made statements under oath alleging that he and others were implicated in high treason and espionage, based on what was described as a “top secret intelligence report”.

Sibiya questioned the credibility of the report, which allegedly implicated forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, Robert McBride, and suspended crime intelligence official Captain Candice Coetzee, among others.

He said Mokotedi further alleged that a meeting was held at the former property of a convicted criminal, where discussions allegedly took place to target supporters of former president Jacob Zuma by initiating false criminal investigations.

Sibiya strongly denied any involvement in such discussions, describing the allegations as demonstrably false and inherently implausible.

He also told the commission that he believes he has been a victim of these allegations since his time in intelligence, saying more the 20 criminal cases have been opened against him in an effort to remove him from office.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao