Madlanga Commission | Bank statements show Shibiri received loan from Matlala

The Madlanga Commission has heard that suspended SAPS head of organised crime, Richard Shibiri, received a R70 000 loan from alleged underworld figure and tenderpreneur, Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.

Bank statements presented before the inquiry show the payment was made at a time when Shibiri had a positive balance in his account. Counsel questioned why he sought financial assistance from Matlala – a known SAPS contractor facing serious allegations – and why the loan was not disclosed.

Shibiri told the commission he needed the money to fund construction work at his home.

“I required it because, at the time, I wanted to build a wall here at my house and the wall also at home and of which I ended up doing that in March 2025.”

Evidence leader, Advocate Thabang Pooe, challenged this explanation, arguing that bank records suggested there was no immediate financial need for the loan during the period in question.

“But can you see that the period when that loan was taken up until December, when the loan was paid back, there was no need. You may have had an intention but certainly, in your account, what it shows is that you had the money to assist your son without a loan from Mr. Matlala.”

Shibiri maintained that he had the discretion to decide how to use his money and insisted he anticipated repaying the loan once he received his bonus later in the year.

The commission also examined WhatsApp call records indicating that Shibiri was in contact with Matlala in the period leading up to Matlala’s arrest early last year. The records suggest frequent communication between December 2024 and May 2025.

Shibiri acknowledged that he placed a call to Matlala on 9 May but said poor cellphone reception while he was in rural Mpumalanga could have affected whether the call was successfully connected.

He further told the inquiry that at the time of whistle-blower, Babita Deokaran’s murder, he was assisting Hawks investigators in Gauteng and was unaware that Matlala’s name had been linked to the Tembisa Hospital corruption scandal.

Shibiri said his demanding workload and health challenges meant he was not closely following developments in the media.

In addition, the commission scrutinised WhatsApp exchanges between Shibiri and Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, which appeared to show instances of personal assistance.

Counsel suggested these interactions reflected personal favours, contradicting Shibiri’s earlier testimony that his relationship with Nkosi was largely professional and that they seldom interacted on a personal level.

The messages presented before the commission also showed, in one instance, Shibiri expressing concern for Nkosi’s safety after they had both attended an event where Nkosi had arrived on a motorbike.

In another exchange, Nkosi was seen assisting Shibiri in sourcing training shoes, with images of various options shared between them. The commission also heard that Nkosi helped Shibiri search for a dog after he expressed interest in getting one.

The commission will resume tomorrow morning.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao