Addressing the commission on Wednesday, Sibiya said his actions followed directives from National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, who in turn had received instruction from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Based on instructions from superiors
“Any role that he played in the disbandment of the PKTT was undertaken solely in the course and scope of instructions issued to me by the National Commissioner,” Sibiya told the commission.
He emphasised that he reports directly to Masemola. He added that the National Commissioner together with KwaZulu-Natal commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi did not raise concerns about the directive issued by Mchunu to dissolve the unit.
“I was entitled to presume that such instructions were lawfully issued and duly authorised. Particularly as I knew that the National Commissioner himself had received the directive from Minister Mchunu.
“The alternative would have been to defy a direct order from my superior. [This] would itself have constituted unlawful conduct and a disciplinary offence,” he said.
The disbandment letter, issued by Mchunu on December 31, 2024, instructed that the PKTT be dissolved with immediate effect.
Implementation Plan
Sibiya also addressed questions around the Implementation Plan. He noted that while Masemola did not sign it, the omission was not for the reasons now being suggested.
“I reiterate that the true reason, is due to the fact that he regarded the implementation plan as an operational matter,” he said.
He confirmed that he signed the implementation plan. But he maintained that all submissions he made originated from the office of the National Commissioner.
“I’ve never in my life argued with the national commissioner or even defied him,” he said.
Turning to allegations made by Mkhwanazi, Sibiya sought to distance himself from the PKTT. He stated that he had no direct involvement with the unit.
He clarified that his involvement only arose in January 2025, after the disbandment letter had already been issued. This was when he was instructed by the National Commissioner to prepare a report.
Clarity on the 121 ‘idle’ dockets
Sibiya further denied claims that 121 case dockets were left idle in his office.
He rejected allegations that the dockets were gathering dust under his watch. And he argued that many of the cases had not been actively worked on since 2018.
“We presented in parliament that the PKTT had achieved its initial plan of existence. A graph was presented in parliament showing green bars as a sign that it had worked.”
The commission continues to hear testimony relating to the circumstances surrounding the disbandment of the PKTT and the handling of politically linked murder investigations.
