National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has pulled back the curtain on a brutal power struggle inside the South African Police Service (SAPS), revealing infighting, political interference, and alleged attempts to shield criminals.
Masemola’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission laid bare how his now-suspended deputy, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, with backing from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who has been placed on special leave, tried to side-line him and grab control over some of the most sensitive units in the SAPS.
The Cold Case Unit, responsible for high-profile investigations like the Senzo Meyiwa murder, was at the centre of this battle. Masemola was giving his testimony at the Madlanga Commission on Monday and Tuesday at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
Cold case unit
“Sibiya wanted to take over the Cold Case Unit. But that unit is designed to be independent. It’s not a normal detective team reporting to him. That move was highly irregular — and dangerous,” Masemola told the commission.
“If that happened, it would have compromised investigations into politically sensitive cases. It was a clear conflict of interest.”
It didn’t stop there, Sibiya also tried to clip the wings of Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, the head of Crime Intelligence. Khumalo manages sensitive counterintelligence investigations.
“It’s standard practice for him to carry dockets, but Sibiya wanted to restrict him. That’s not how national security works,” according to Masemola.
Even more alarming was Sibiya’s push to remove Khumalo from overseeing the Political Killings Task Team. This was despite Khumalo’s proven record.
Silencing transparency
“The team was a well-oiled machine,” Masemola said. “There were no complaints about performance. But Sibiya wanted Khumalo out. It seemed like an attempt to control and silence transparency.”
The tension boiled over to the point where Masemola informed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu about the rift.
“I told the minister there was discord. He promised to intervene,” Masemola said. “But when we met, we wasted time on trivial things instead of addressing the real issues. It was frustrating.”
Sibiya reportedly pushed hard for the immediate disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.
“I believed in a phased approach to ensure no gaps in accountability,” Masemola told the commission. “But Sibiya wanted to shut it down right away. That difference showed how far apart we were.”
The fall-out culminated in an investigation finding Sibiya guilty of violating the Police Act. This included insubordination and failing to carry out orders. His suspension followed, but the damage to SAPS’ leadership and reputation runs deep.
Crime-fighting compromised
“This isn’t just about personalities,” Masemola warned. “It’s about safeguarding the independence of critical police units and protecting South Africa’s fight against crime. When leadership is divided, everyone loses.”
The saga at the Madlanga Commission is a stark wake-up call for SAPS. Unless it can overcome internal battles and political meddling, the service risks losing the trust of the very people it’s meant to protect.
The commission will continue its work on Thursday after a one- day break due to the heritage day holiday.
