Sibiya adds affidavit in fight to reclaim post, fight suspension

SUSPENDED deputy police commissioner, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, has used the tensions between acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola to strengthen his fight for reinstatement.

- MANYANE MANYANE [e-mail]

Masemola suspended Sibiya, his deputy responsible for crime detection, for intentionally disobeying his instructions on the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal Political Task Team investigating high-profile murders. The task team is at the centre of the claims of political interference within the criminal justice system - claims that were made by KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Sibiya filed a supplementary affidavit following Cachalia's remarks regarding the decision to return 121 dockets to the political killings task team.

This was after Masemola reportedly told the media last week that the dockets were being returned from Sibiyas office back to the task team in KZN.

Cachalia had raised concerns about this as he said the matter will be dealt with by the Madlanga Commission as the task team is at the centre of the claims of political interference within the criminal justice system.

The commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa following the allegations.