'Criminal' Shadrack Sibiya hits back at 'warlord' Mkhwanazi
Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, has strongly denied explosive allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a recent press briefing on Sunday.
Mkhwanazi accused Sibiya of being a "criminal" and of improper conduct, allegedly at the behest of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, for summarily closing a political task team unit which had been investigating political killings.
Mkhwanazi says the unit was disbanded just as it was circling on a criminal syndicate which included top police, prosecutors and Members of Parliament. The dockets under investigation were said to be archived by Sibiya in Pretoria.
Speaking to the SABC News shortly after Mkhwanazi's explosive revelations, Sibiya accused Mkhwanazi of making baseless public accusations, adding that he must "stop behaving like a criminal and behave like a disciplined member of the police".
"He must stop behaving like a criminal and behave like a disciplined member of the police. Tell him to stop threatening people and talking about violence there. He must stop behaving like a warlord. He's a member of the police." Sibiya told the public broadcaster.
Earlier, Mkhwanazi told journalists he was combat ready and he was not afraid. He said he was willing to die for the people of South Africa.
In response, Sibiya added that he was caught off guard by Mkhwanazi's accusations against him, adding that the KZN Commissioner was angry over the arrest of criminal intelligence chief Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo.
Khumalo was among seven senior police officers arrested in relation with an alleged Crime Intelligence racket, where funds were allegedly misused to buy properties.
“First and foremost, I must say that I'm very much disappointed and shocked because the last time I spoke to General Mkhwanazi was on Friday and all was well,” Sibiya said.
Mkhwanazi had claimed that 121 case dockets, including politically motivated killings, were removed from the Political Killings Task Team in March and subsequently "shelved at the police head office in Pretoria".
Sibiya dismissed all claims, saying he would not engage in public and would instead respond formally through legal and organisational channels.
"I'm giving him permission to show the media the evidence that he's talking about, he doesn't need to bring it to me, and if he knows of any criminal offence that has been committed, he must open a case.
"He must arrest and if he's got any evidence to say that I'm giving him permission,I'm giving him permission to share it with you or to show it to any other person that he can trust, to say here's General Shadrack's involvement in criminal activities".
He also denied having any role in ending the task team’s investigations or coordinating with the Minister to stop its work.
"And let me tell you, this issue of the development of the political killing has got nothing to do with me. And all these decisions that we're taking, I don't know why he blames it on me.
"I am not the one who influenced the minister. I never had a meeting with the minister to disband this political killing campaign at all."
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