Explosive evidence before the Madlanga Commission has drawn Shadrack Sibiya, South Africa’s deputy national police commissioner, into the ongoing investigation of the murder of engineer Armand Swart.
CCTV footage presented at the inquiry this week showed Sergeant F.E. Nkosi, a subordinate working under Sibiya, visiting the Sandhurst mansion of alleged crime syndicate leader Katiso “KT” Molefe on 27 November 2024, only ten days before Molefe’s arrest for Swart’s assassination.
Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo told the commission that Nkosi arrived at Molefe’s home at 16:31 SAST in a white BMW registered to Sibiya’s office.
Nine minutes later, he was captured leaving the property carrying a large white carrier bag.
“Unfortunately for us, the bag was not transparent so we cannot see what type of ‘chocolate’ is in there,” Khumalo said, drawing laughter from the inquiry before clarifying that investigators believed the bag may have contained money or sensitive documents.
“It’s not that heavy, but it has some contents. We will use our analytical minds to check what could be carried in such a bag with value,” he said .
Khumalo said the white BMW had no tracking device, despite regulations requiring all police vehicles to be monitored.
He added that investigators later traced the car’s movements using surveillance cameras, linking it to multiple operations associated with Sibiya’s office.
The CCTV footage, previously heard in private (in camera) hearings, was made public on Monday as part of new evidence linking Nkosi and Molefe to a broader criminal network allegedly responsible for Swart’s murder, a series of targeted killings, and the attempted assassination of businesswoman Tebogo Thobejane.
According to Khumalo, Nkosi’s proximity to Sibiya made him “a link between the deputy commissioner and the cartel.”
The commission also heard a recording of convicted hitman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala claiming that he had paid millions of rands to Sibiya through Nkosi. “He said, ‘Sibiya is a criminal himself,’” a protected witness identified as Witness C told the inquiry, quoting Matlala’s words from a recorded conversation.
Further testimony on Tuesday connected Sibiya’s private protector, Scharnick Stuart James, to over 30 criminal cases.
Khumalo told the commission that vehicle-tracking data showed James frequently travelled in convoy with the same white BMW that Nkosi had used to visit Molefe.
“The cars move together,” Khumalo explained.
“The BMW, previously seen at Molefe’s house, appears repeatedly alongside a white Toyota Hilux registered to Mr James. This pattern of movement is typical of a convoy or escort formation.”
Khumalo revealed that James, who was recently seen accompanying Sibiya to a Parliamentary hearing, has 34 criminal cases on record, including 18 convictions and several acquittals, mostly for carjacking and vehicle theft.
He described the findings as evidence of “systemic infiltration within the South African Police Service (SAPS),” where criminal networks position themselves close to senior officers.
Swart, a 38-year-old engineer, was gunned down outside his workplace in Vereeniging in what investigators initially described as a mistaken-identity murder.
The killing led to the formation of a task team on political killings, which eventually linked the crime to Molefe and his associates.
Sibiya, who has been suspended since mid-2025, has denied any wrongdoing. In a written statement, he said the allegations were “an orchestrated attempt to destroy my career and reputation.”
The Madlanga Commission is expected to continue hearing testimony from Crime Intelligence officials and forensic investigators this week as it unpacks evidence of police corruption and organised crime infiltration.
