Sibiya's testimony and the controversy over seized electronic devices

Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, the Deputy Police Commissioner, is set to testify on Monday in a parliamentary inquiry investigating serious allegations of corruption within the criminal justice system.

His appearance follows his involvement in the controversial disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), raising significant concerns about accountability and integrity in law enforcement.

Ad Hoc Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane on Friday said the public hearings will resume on Monday with Sibiya as a witness.

“Next week Monday and Tuesday, we have a date with General Sibiya,” Lekganyane said.

The inquiry has heard that Sibiya allegedly went ahead with plans to disband the PKTT despite being advised not to do so by Masemola, who had concerns with the directive issued by now-suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu in December 2024.

Sibiya had allegedly ordered for the dockets removal from KwaZulu-Natal to the police head offices without the knowledge of the national commissioner.

Monday's testimony in the inquiry will take place against the backdrop of search and seizure warrants executed by the police to obtain electronic devices including laptops and cellphones at Sibiya’s house and the flat of Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde.

Both have condemned the seizure of their electronic equipment, with Nkabinde claiming his brother was assaulted after the police mistook his brother for Nkabinde.

The team was stopped at the gate of Mchunu's residence and was refused entry by the police providing guarding services there, prompting the minister’s lawyers to write to the Ad Hoc Committee.

They noted that Mkhwanazi claimed to possess evidence of Mchunu's wrongdoing and characterised the PKTT's actions as intimidation and a fishing expedition designed to support Mkhwanazi's allegations.

“This conduct is unacceptable as it compromises the investigation that is currently conducted by the Ad Hoc Committee. Our client simply does not know or has no way of knowing what may happen to the mobile phones that the police want to seize,” reads the letter.

Masemola confirmed to the parliamentary inquiry that he was informed about the PKTT team executing a search and seizure warrant to collect electronic devices.

Advocate Norman Arendse, SC, chief evidence leader for the inquiry, has stated that they want Sibiya to be present on Monday.

Asked by Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls why the team was seizing the electronic devices that could have material to be presented to the inquiry by the witnesses, Masemola said the team did not need his permission to do their work.

The investigation into Sibiya, Nkabinde and Mchunu relates to the case of defeating the ends of justice that was opened by Mkhwanazi after he obtained an affidavit from Masemola on July 4, two days before his infamous press briefing.

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