Masemola blasts Sibiya as Mkhwanazi's task team gets 4 murderers sentenced to life in prison

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In the battle against corruption within South Africa's police force, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has taken a firm stand against his deputy, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, accusing him of going against direct orders in the disbandment of a key task team focused on political killings. This move comes as Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's Political Killings Task Team achieves a major breakthrough, with four individuals receiving life sentences for their roles in a high-profile murder case. These developments highlight the deep tensions and intricate power struggles at the top levels of law enforcement, where allegations of interference and rogue actions threaten to undermine efforts to bring justice to victims of targeted attacks.

General Masemola has made it clear that Sibiya acted on his own by rushing the shutdown of the task team, ignoring instructions for a careful, step-by-step process. This accusation stems from a series of events that began late last year, when a directive from the suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu arrived at Masemola's office while he was away on leave. The directive called for the immediate deactivation of the team, which had been investigating numerous cases of political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. Upon returning, Masemola expressed concerns that such a sudden disbandment would harm ongoing investigations, insisting on a gradual wind-down to protect the progress made on active cases.

Sibiya, however, presented plans that Masemola found unsatisfactory, leading the commissioner to take personal control of the matter. He developed his own strategy, which he shared with ministerial officials in early March, proposing that cases already in court stay with the task team, while others move to provincial units or local stations for completion. Importantly, there was no intention to transfer the dockets to the head office in Pretoria, as that could stall progress. Despite these clear guidelines, Masemola later discovered that Sibiya had issued orders for the team to hand over 121 case dockets directly to the head office, where they sat untouched, without assignment to any investigators. This unauthorized action raised suspicions about Sibiya's motives, prompting Masemola to launch a preliminary investigation into whether Sibiya had deliberately ignored his duties.

As a result, Sibiya received an order to stay away from his office last month, which he has challenged in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, seeking to have it lifted so he can return to work. He argues that the order amounts to a hidden suspension and stems from unproven claims made during a press conference by Mkhwanazi in Durban on July 6. In that briefing, Mkhwanazi suggested that criminals had taken control of parts of the criminal justice system, pointing to executive interference as the reason for the task team's disbandment. Sibiya defends himself by referencing a letter from the suspended minister dated December 31, which directed the immediate shutdown, and an email from Masemola's office three days later instructing him to communicate the deactivation and prepare a close-out report.

Sibiya also claims there were efforts to shift the dockets to KwaZulu-Natal's murder and robbery units, but Mkhwanazi rejected them, leaving Sibiya's team to handle the cases. Masemola counters this by stating he only learned of the ministerial directive on January 2, after his leave, and while he accepted it as part of the minister's oversight role, he viewed the insistence on timing and method as an overreach into his authority to manage the police service. After meetings with Sibiya, Masemola rejected the proposed plans twice, emphasizing the need to avoid disrupting investigations. The final approved approach involved sending dockets to local stations, not the head office, yet Sibiya proceeded with his own directives, leading to the dockets becoming inactive.

This conflict has escalated, with Sibiya accusing Masemola of basing the stay-away order on a single source's untested allegations from the media briefing. Masemola maintains that the order is not a suspension but a necessary step to allow an unbiased preliminary probe, as Sibiya's presence could intimidate witnesses who report to him. He also addresses Sibiya's complaints about losing personal security amid death threats, noting that Sibiya kept his driver and protector, and a special unit was assigned to guard him for three months. However, Sibiya dismissed that team after only a few days, unhappy with the selection. The court case is set for a hearing later this month, promising more revelations about these internal divisions.

Amid these high-level disputes, Mkhwanazi's Political Killings Task Team continues to deliver results, demonstrating its value even after the disbandment controversy. Just last week, the team secured convictions in the 2019 murder of Oscar Hlatshwayo, a civil engineer who held the position of executive director in the engineering and infrastructure services department at the Alfred Duma Local Municipality in Ladysmith. Hlatshwayo lost his life in a drive-by shooting, and the task team's thorough investigation led to the arrest of four suspects shortly after the incident. Their trial at the Madadeni High Court concluded on August 6, with each receiving a life sentence.

The convicted individuals include Nomaswazi Shabalala, a senior engineer at the same municipality, who is said to have orchestrated the attack. Mondli Mabaso, a businessman with ties to municipal tenders, served as an accomplice. Mduduzi Njuza handled the coordination and provided the firearms used. Brown Ngcobo, identified as the hitman, carried out the act. Masemola has welcomed these sentences, expressing hope that they provide some measure of closure for Hlatshwayo's family. This success underscores the effectiveness of General Mkhwanazi's task team in tackling cases linked to political motives and corruption, even as questions linger about why efforts were made to shut it down prematurely.

The fallout from Mkhwanazi's July 6 press conference extends beyond the task team disbandment, with Sibiya threatening legal action against Mkhwanazi for what he calls defamatory statements. Through his lawyer, Sibiya demanded a retraction and public apology, insisting that the claims portray him as part of a criminal network involving high-ranking officials, including the suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu. The demand specified that the apology appear on Mkhwanazi's social media accounts, such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and X, with warnings of further steps like a restraining order if not met within five days. Sibiya's side argues that Mkhwanazi's remarks aim to damage his reputation and divert attention from potential issues facing Mkhwanazi himself, subjecting Sibiya to unfair public judgment without solid evidence.

As of last Friday, the deadline passed without a response or apology from Mkhwanazi, and Sibiya has not yet followed through on the threatened lawsuit. These allegations prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a commission of inquiry to examine the claims of interference and corruption. Both Sibiya and Mchunu have been placed on leave pending the inquiry's outcomes, highlighting the seriousness of the accusations that tie them to efforts to protect criminal elements within the system.

Connected to these broader claims is a group of suspects forming what authorities describe as an alleged hit squad, including Sandton businessman Katiso Molefe, former JOHANNESBURG police detective Michael Pule Tau, and alleged contract hitmen Musa Kekana and Tlego Floyd Mabusela, known for their involvement in multiple criminal activities. The state is pushing to combine several cases against them into a single trial, seeking centralization to streamline the process. This group, along with controversial figure Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, who faces charges in some related matters, gained notoriety following Mkhwanazi's revelations about police capture.

Their appearance in the Gauteng High Court at Palm Ridge was meant to start the trial for the April 2024 murder of Vaal engineer Armand Swart, but the state requested a postponement until October to consolidate the cases. Swart was targeted outside his workplace in what appears to have been a mistaken identity incident, occurring just two weeks after his company exposed price inflation in a Transnet tender for springs. The firm produced the items at R3.20 each, but they were resold to the state-owned entity at R152 per unit through an intermediary, inflating an order for 8,000 units from R25,000 to R1.2 million. Investigations suggest the intended target was one of Swart's colleagues involved in the whistleblowing.

Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela were arrested soon after, with Molefe apprehended in December. Mkhwanazi linked the task team's disbandment to political interference following Molefe's arrest. The group faces additional charges in other courts, including the murder of Oupa John Sefoka, known as DJ Sumbody, and his bodyguards Sibusiso Mokoena and Sandile Myeza, in a 2022 drive-by shooting in Woodmead. They are also accused in the 2022 killing of Hector Buthelezi, alias DJ Vintos, and Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela in the 2023 murder of Don Tindleni.

Further, Kekana and Mabusela, along with Matlala and his wife Tsakani, are charged in the attempted murder of socialite Tebogo Thobejane and two others in October 2023. Their vehicle was attacked on the N1 highway near Sandton, resulting in Thobejane sustaining a foot injury and one companion suffering a severe spinal wound that left her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, still in hospital with no prospect of walking again. Matlala and Thobejane were previously in a relationship. Police have linked firearms from the Swart case arrests to at least 10 high-profile incidents, suggesting more charges could follow.

All suspects remain in custody, with bail denied or revoked in various matters. Molefe, initially denied bail in the Swart case but successful on appeal, is now detained for the DJ Sumbody matter and has another bail hearing upcoming. This web of cases illustrates the reach of these individuals, often tied to tenders, corruption, and targeted attacks on those who expose wrongdoing.

The allegations of police capture have sparked an internal disciplinary process within the South African Police Service, targeting elements in the crime intelligence division linked to Matlala. Masemola has quietly initiated this under the leadership of Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, who is reviewing data from Matlala's mobile devices. Last week, activity at the SAPS Tshwane Academy in Pretoria included sessions where implicated officers faced questions about their communications with Matlala, displayed on large screens for explanation by the individuals and their supervisors.

Sources indicate that additional devices seized from Matlala's home, shared with his wife Tsakani, yielded forensic evidence implicating more officers in potential capture. This process follows regulations allowing the national commissioner to delegate misconduct investigations to provincial leaders, aiming to decentralize while ensuring oversight. Sibiya, on leave, is reportedly among those involved, though confirmation remains elusive. The police spokesperson has declined to discuss ongoing disciplinary matters, but the effort seeks to root out compromised elements based on Mkhwanazi's claims.

Mkhwanazi's briefing revealed Matlala's alleged connections to a syndicate involving senior politicians, possibly including Mchunu and former minister Bheki Cele. He cited a canceled R360 million SAPS tender awarded to Matlala in 2024, revoked by Masemola on May 13, just before Matlala's arrest in the Thobejane case. Evidence includes WhatsApp exchanges between Matlala and Brown Mogotsi, an associate of Mchunu, discussing ways to influence Mchunu and Sibiya to hinder investigations into Matlala. There are also records of payments from Matlala funding ANC events for Mchunu and Mogotsi. Mkhwanazi believes the task team raid on Matlala's home prompted the disbandment decision.

Matlala faces charges including attempted murder, conspiracy, money laundering, and fraud related to the Thobejane incident, where messages reportedly showed him instructing assailants to aim for disfiguring injuries. Earlier reports linked him to investigations into the murder of Gauteng health whistleblower Babita Deokaran and tender irregularities at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Recently, Matlala was found with a phone in Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre's C-Max section, where he is held, adding to his legal troubles. His wife Tsakani and another co-accused, Nthabiseng Nzama, are out on bail of R20,000 and R10,000 respectively, while Matlala, Kekana, and Mabusela stay detained. Their next court date is August 26 in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court.

Matlala's influence extends internationally, with questions arising in Lesotho about his ties to Prime Minister Sam Matekane. An opposition leader in Lesotho's National Assembly has formally inquired whether Matlala attended Matekane's 2022 inauguration and if Matekane visited Matlala's residence in Gauteng. These queries, submitted in writing on July 31, stem from information provided by someone in Matlala's circle after his arrest. The prime minister's office has indicated he will respond in parliament as required by law, but no answer has come yet. This connection adds another layer to Matlala's profile as a figure with broad networks, from South African tenders and police interactions to potential cross-border political links.

These intertwined stories reveal a complex landscape of power, betrayal, and pursuit of justice in South Africa's fight against corruption. From the top echelons of the police force, where commissioners clash over authority and loyalty, to the courtroom victories that honor victims like Hlatshwayo and Swart, the narrative exposes how personal ambitions and hidden alliances can derail investigations. The task team's persistence, despite attempts to sideline it, shows the resilience of dedicated officers, while the disciplinary probes and court consolidations signal a push to hold accountable those who exploit the system.

As General Mkhwanazi's political killings task team continues to secure arrests and convictions across the country, which other cases would you want the task team to work on?




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