Probes link top cop to crime syndicates, says Crime Intel boss

POLICE investigations have allegedly linked Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya to criminal syndicates, says SAPS Divisional Commissioner for Crime Intelligence, Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, Khumalo said Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, a detective attached to Sibiya’s office, was the link between Sibiya and murder-accused businessman Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe. 

Nkosi was recently named at the commission as an alleged intermediary in a kickback network involving a R360 million SAPS tender, where kickbacks from attempted murder accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala were sent to Sibiya via Nkosi.

At that time, the witnesses stated that Sibiya and KZN Hawks head Lesetja Senona allegedly assisted Matlala to secure the contract, which was later cancelled.

On Tuesday, a CCTV video footage was played at the commission showing Nkosi alighting from a state-owned vehicle at Molefe’s home in Sandhurst. Within 10 minutes, Nkosi was seen walking back to the car, carrying a large, white gift bag, and accompanied by Molefe. 

Khumalo drew the commissioners’ attention to the fact that Nkosi was empty-handed when he walked in. He also stated that the vehicle was allocated to Sibiya’s office. 

The footage was confiscated during the takedown operation of December 6, 2024.

“Commissioners, as you can see, the bag is not transparent, but the way he is handling it in his right hand suggests that it is of value, even though it is not heavy. We are yet to establish what kind of chocolates were inside,” Khumalo said jokingly.

The same car that Nkosi was driving was also seen exiting the gate of Sibiya’s home on the day that the general was raided by the police.

Khumalo also revealed that on the day of the raid at Sibiya’s home in September 2025, the Toyota double-cab bakkie that Sibiya was seen driving out of his house belonged to Scharnick Stuart James, a convicted carjacker and car thief, with at least 34 cases in the SAPS records.

According to Khumalo, James was found guilty of 18 cases, 11 were withdrawn, and was not found guilty in five cases. Most of the cases were committed in KwaZulu-Natal.

Khumalo said the pace at which the carjackings were happening, and James being found guilty, raises the question as to when James was serving his time in jail. He said that this forms part of the investigation. 

James was also among the individuals who accompanied Sibiya in Parliament when he appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee, probing allegations of political interference, collusion between senior police, prosecutions, the judiciary, and criminal syndicates.

Khumalo also raised a concern that hit orderers and hit organisers were recruiting individuals serving in the criminal justice system, including the SAPS.

“The concern we have as we are dealing with this project relates to the infiltration of the SAPS at the highest levels by the criminal syndicate. Before you even do the detailed investigation, looking at the basic profile, it tells you that the individual is part of a car-hijacking syndicate that is working very hard. Looking at the timelines that it is not one vehicle per year, maybe it’s 12 or whatever the target,” Khumalo said. 

“It makes the lives of those (detectives) dealing with these cases very difficult, because now for them to come closer to the individual, they must first go through the Deputy National Commissioner (Sibiya). With this, we are confirming and proving the challenges that we are facing.” 

Cape Times