Deputy national commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, has been placed on a leave of absence amid an ongoing investigation into serious allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Deputy SAPS commissioner placed on ‘special leave’
As reported by EWN, the directive for Sibiya’s temporary removal came from National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
Masemola reportedly tasked fellow deputy commissioner Tebello Mosikili to inform Sibiya of the decision during a private meeting on Tuesday.
The move comes just two weeks after Mkhwanazi publicly accused Sibiya of colluding with Brown Mogotsi, an alleged information peddler from the North West province, and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, to interfere with the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
Mkhwanazi alleged that the aim was to have the task team disbanded—an allegation that sent shockwaves through South Africa’s policing structures.
Sibiya has denied the accusations, describing them as “baseless lies” and attributing them to internal tensions following the arrest of Dumisani Khumalo, the head of Crime Intelligence in KwaZulu-Natal and a known ally of Mkhwanazi.
Speaking exclusively to EWN, Sibiya confirmed that he accepted the leave decision without resistance.
“As for now, I’ve been asked to say, ‘we are not suspending you but because there are investigations ongoing, we suggest that you stay at home.’ And this is what I’ve accepted as well and I am happy to do so,” he stated.
Sibiya’s leave of absence is the latest in a series of dramatic developments within the South African Police Service (SAPS) leadership. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since intervened by placing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on special leave, replacing him with Professor Firoz Cachalia as Acting Minister of Police.
Ramaphosa also addressed the nation on Sunday, expressing concern over the scale and seriousness of the allegations raised.
These include claims of political interference in policing, links to organised crime within law enforcement and judicial structures, and the obstruction of high-level prosecutions.
To address these issues, Ramaphosa announced the formation of a judicial commission of inquiry.
The commission, to be chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will have powers to compel testimony, investigate alleged criminal activity within law enforcement, and make recommendations on potential suspensions of implicated officials.
The full scope of the inquiry is yet to be publicly detailed, but Sibiya’s departure—albeit temporarily—marks a key moment in what appears to be a growing shake-up within the SAPS leadership.