The police official claims he feels under siege and that his life is at risk.
Suspended deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya says he will not back down, insisting that he would have to be fired following a dramatic police raid on his home on Thursday afternoon.
Armed officers descended on Sibiya’s residence in Centurion, Pretoria, to conduct a search-and-seizure operation as part of an investigation by the South African Police Service (Saps).
The raid is believed to be linked to Sibiya’s decision to transfer 121 case dockets from the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) in KZN to the police’s head office.
This move followed police minister Senzo Mchunu’s order to disband the PKTT.
KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has accused Sibiya and Mchunu of colluding to dissolve the task team in order to protect crime syndicates.
Mkhwanazi told Parliament’s ad hoc committee this week that he expected Sibiya to be arrested and appear in court by 31 December.
Shadrack Sibiya won’t resign
Speaking to the media outside his home, Sibiya, accompanied by his lawyer Ian Levitt, addressed reports anticipating his arrest.
“Well, me too, I was under the impression that this is going to happen. I’m expecting it at any time. I mean Mkhwanazi said yesterday that it’s imminent,” he said.
Sibiya, who was suspended last month after initially being placed on leave of absence, told reporters rumours about his arrest had been circulating since last year.
He claimed that he had been expecting law enforcement authorities, including Saps’ national intervention unit (NIU), to raid his home and that he had been “under surveillance” by helicopters and vehicles in recent weeks.
“This is abuse of power. This is what I have to live with at this present moment.”
READ MORE: Sibiya wanted control of dockets ‘right from the beginning’ – Masemola tells Madlanga commission
Sibiya criticised the manner in which the raid was carried out, saying heavily armed officers arrived while his family was present.
“I wish my colleagues could at least be thinking for my kids, my family.
“They haven’t done anything wrong for them to be traumatised like this. I know they want to push me out. I will never resign. They must fire me.”
He confirmed that police confiscated several of his electronic devices, including a laptop and “three or four” cellphones.
“There’s nothing in the laptop,” he added.
‘I have been called a criminal’
Sibiya remained mum about his upcoming appearance before the parliamentary ad hoc committee on Monday.
“All I can say is that this search for today is meant to disrupt me.”
He said that he had also been served with a notice to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
“The whole exercise is just meant to confuse me and to keep me under pressure.
“I’m under siege and my life is in danger and that of my family. There are cars coming up and down here with false registration numbers and now this. The media is here and my place is being exposed.”
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He confirmed that he was preparing to testify before the Madlanga commission.
“I have been called a criminal… in front of all South Africans. I’ve been called stupid. I’m also waiting to have my day at the Madlanga commission.
“Ultimately, I will be charged. I expect to be pushed out. This is what this whole thing about.”
“Remember, I’ve been through the eye of a needle. I’ve been through this before,” Sibiya said, seemingly referencing his dismissal from the Hawks in 2015.
He further alleged that he was being betrayed by colleagues, including national police commissioner Fannie Masemola.
“I’m not angry, I’m hurt. I feel like Joseph who’s brothers threw him in the pit and they ended up selling him.”
Legal team raises concerns
Meanwhile, Levitt, expressed his concern over the raid, claiming that there were “six cars full of heavily armed masked gunmen with fully automatic rifles”.
He said the legal team would “fully investigate and interrogate what has happened today”.
“We want the affidavit that gave rise to the search and seizure that hasn’t been given to us,” Levitt told the media.
While Levitt said the search warrant contained charges of defeating the ends of justice, Sibiya added that money laundering and corruption were also listed.
Sibiya insisted that his life was under threat, saying he had been warned by Saps’ counterintelligence division that the risk is “very high”.
“In fact I was provided with security, six members from the NIU to protect me, but this is not being done in good faith.
“Why can’t I be dealt with decently like a senior member of the South African Police Service until the court finds me guilty? Deal with me in a decent way.”
When asked about allegations of ties to questionable individuals such as tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, Sibiya dismissed the claims.
“My job is to investigate criminals. It is my space. I’m not a priest; I don’t deal with Christians.
“I’m not a school principal, I’m a policeman. I’ve investigated organised crime for many years. I’m almost 37 years in the field of what I’m doing.”
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