Suspended South African police general faces new firearm charge as custody woes mount
Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadack Sibiya is facing fresh legal pressure after prosecutors added a firearm-related charge while he remains...
Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadack Sibiya is facing fresh legal pressure after prosecutors added a firearm-related charge while he remains in custody. His lawyers also told the court on Thursday that he has now been served with two additional disciplinary notices behind bars.
The new charge concerns a gun found in Sibiya’s possession on the day of his arrest last week, the legal team said during his bail hearing at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court. They argued the firearm matter should have been brought together with the other charges, not filed separately. Simple. More paperwork, more risk.
Charges keep growing
Sibiya was already facing serious allegations before the latest filing. Court reports have linked the suspended senior officer to sexual offences, including rape, sexual grooming of a minor and trafficking in persons. One report said the firearm matter brought the total number of charges against him to six.
The 59-year-old was arrested last week after an investigation by the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team, which is looking into matters arising from the Madlanga Commission. He has remained in custody as his bail bid plays out in Randburg.
Disciplinary notices pile up
His lawyers also said he had been served with two further disciplinary notices while in detention, on top of an earlier notice from the South African Police Service. According to the legal team, Sibiya left one of the notices in his cell and could not remember the date of the disciplinary hearing.
They said they would respond once they had the relevant information. For now, the paperwork keeps coming.
Bail fight under strain
The case has drawn wider attention in South Africa, where the police and justice systems are under intense public scrutiny over allegations involving senior officials and abuse of power. Sibiya has also been linked in court proceedings to allegations of sexual grooming and rape, while civil society groups have condemned his claim that sex with an 18-year-old complainant was consensual.
One of Sibiya’s lawyers, Rishaad Moosa, has separately denied trying to help him evade arrest. The State has told the court it holds documentation suggesting Sibiya knew an arrest was imminent and had written to the National Prosecuting Authority to ask about the criminal investigation.
His next moves will be watched closely. The court is already dealing with a bail application, while the disciplinary process now runs alongside the criminal case.
“His legal troubles have widened,” his lawyers said of the latest charges and notices.
Source: iol.co.za
