Under-fire top cop decries 'malicious' claims linked to Matlala's R300k

SUSPENDED SAPS Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has described as "malicious" allegations that crime kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala brought R300,000 cash to his home in September 2024, where a surprise engagement party for his son was underway.

The allegations are based on a transcript of a discussion involving male speaker 1, male speaker 2, Witness C, and Matlala. 

Matlala admitted in a chat that he arrived at the party after withdrawing R500,000, intending to give R300,000 to Sibiya, and was driving a Rolls Royce at the time.

Testifying at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday, Sibiya disputed the claim of Matlala's alleged contribution, saying he has evidence of a family WhatsApp group showing various family members who pledged contributions towards the event.

"This thing of R300,000 I am throwing it away. I am rejecting it right away from the onset," he said.

Sibiya reiterated that deny this thing of the electronic funds transfer (EFT), R500,000, saying "it is just being malicious".

He challenged the commission's investigators to verify whether Matlala actually withdrew the large sum of money as alleged.

Sibiya testified that  during the engagement party he sent a WhatsApp message to Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, saying: "Ask Cat to make a turn." 

Nkosi, who recently testified as Witness F, had his cover blown by Sibiya's testimony, prompting Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to allow his identity to be revealed.

Sibiya’s request to Nkosi was made while Matlala's wife Tsakane and acting deputy commissioner Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule were also among the attendees at the party. 

He explained that he told Nkosi to invite Matlala after being asked if he would have a problem with Matlala fetching his wife who had had too much to drink.

He denied inviting Matlala, but inquiry chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga noted Nkosi had told him he was dropping off elderly women and would then come to the party. Madlanga pointed out Sibiya's "Ask Cat to make a turn" message seemed to contradict his claim.

"To an ordinary reader it sounds like you were inviting Mr Matlala. This idea that he was coming to pick up his wife who had taken a lot of liquor doesn't make much sense. All you needed to say was Mrs Matlala needed to be picked up. You don't say 'ask him to make a turn'. You were inviting him," Madlanga said.

Sibiya responded: "It is the chair's viewpoint on this thing. It is not a fact that I think I should take any further when the chair says it doesn't make sense."

When asked by co-commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC why he did not personally speak to Matlala, Sibiya initially replied: "Like I indicated chair, I never made it my practice to actually communicate with him."

But, Baloyi suggested that his answer contradicted a January 2024 encounter where Sibiya allegedly wanted Nkosi to be a middleman between Matlala and Sibiya.

"I didn't need him to be a go-between," Sibiya said.

Cape Times