National deputy police commissioner Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya has denied receiving impalas from controversial businessman and alleged Big Five cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Sibiya told the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Monday that those allegations, which were made by Witness F recently, linking him to the delivery of the antelopes, are false.
“I categorically deny that I received any impala from Matlala. There was no delivery of impalas to my residence from him. That did not happen,” he said.
Witness F’s testimony ‘untrue’
Sibiya’s denial stands in contrast to the evidence of Witness F, who previously told the commission that he had communicated with Sibiya about the delivery of impalas from Matlala to Sibiya’s home.
According to evidence leader Adv Adila Hassim, Witness F claimed he acted as a go-between, passing messages between Matlala and Sibiya.
Sibiya rejected this version of events.
“There wasn’t much communication. I never made Witness F a go-between,” said Sibiya.
While he did not deny having spoken to Matlala, Sibiya insisted he made a conscious effort to keep his distance from the businessman.
“I made it a point not to be close to Mr Matlala,” he told the commission.
He said his personal assistant was responsible for fetching Matlala when necessary but maintained that his office was a professional environment.
“I am an active detective. I attend meetings frequently. My office was not primarily focused on engagements with Mr Matlala,” he responded.
He identified Witness F as a member of the operational team and told the commission that Witness F and Matlala had held a private discussion, distancing himself from their interactions.
Plot bought with animals
Sibiya explained that he purchased his property in Centurion nine years ago and the plot already had animals on it when he acquired the property.
He later purchased additional livestock, including sheep, goats and four to six impalas.
“I found the place with animals. I bought sheep, goats and four to six impalas,” he explained.
Maintaining the animals, he added, was costly.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo asked how Matlala was involved in a delivery of the animals.
“Whatever discussion that sergeant Nkosi had with Mr Matlala I was not privy to. I feel I should not be held accountable for any conversations that Nkosi had. I told Nkosi that I did not want the Impalas,” he said.
Delivery of impalas denied
Hassim pointed out that images of the impalas were sent two days after the alleged delivery, an event Sibiya maintains never occurred.
Commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga noted that Sibiya was only now correcting aspects of his earlier statements, where he said he was not going to accept anything from a service provider.
Hassim described this as an inconsistency, particularly in light of Sibiya’s acknowledgement that he later acquired animals after initially indicating the high cost of maintaining them.
It was Sibiya’s third day on the witness stand before the commission, where he pushed back against testimony presented by a witness identified only as Witness F.
READ MORE:Â Commission hears Vusimuzi Matlala delivered impalas to Shadrack Sibiya
