South Africa’s top-ranking deputy police leader has stepped down from his post, just three weeks after he was taken into custody on a series of grave criminal charges including sexual violence and organized crime links.
Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya, 59, had his resignation formally submitted by his legal representative during a scheduled disciplinary hearing on Monday, according to official confirmation from a South African Police Service spokesperson. The announcement, posted to the social platform X by police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, clarified that Sibiya’s exit from the force is officially classified as a dishonourable discharge, a designation that applies because he resigned while an active disciplinary process into the allegations against him was still ongoing.
Sibiya has denied every single accusation leveled against him, which span multiple serious criminal and professional misconduct charges. The allegations against the former deputy commissioner include sexual grooming of a 16-year-old minor, the rape of an 18-year-old woman, and human trafficking. Sibiya has acknowledged that a sexual encounter with the 18-year-old took place, but has repeatedly maintained the interaction was fully consensual. Beyond the sexual offence charges, Sibiya also faces claims that he maintained close connections to known organized crime kingpins, allegations that first triggered his suspension from the police force back in 2023.
The claims of Sibiya’s ties to organized crime first came to light during the high-profile Madlanga Commission, a public inquiry launched by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to probe widespread allegations of systemic corruption and collusion between senior law enforcement officials and criminal networks. The inquiry was convened after the former KwaZulu-Natal provincial police chief made explosive public claims in a press conference that then-national Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was collaborating with criminal gangs. Mchunu has denied all accusations against him, but has also been suspended from his position pending investigation.
As part of the testimony before the Madlanga Commission, Sibiya was specifically accused of tampering with active investigations into a string of political assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal province. He was also alleged to have accepted bribes from an accused crime boss, including a cash payment and a gift of 20 live impala antelopes, in exchange for awarding a lucrative police service contract. Sibiya has repeatedly denied this bribery allegation.
Over the past year, the Madlanga Commission’s hearings have dominated public attention across South Africa, and have uncovered hundreds of widespread allegations of inappropriate ties between sitting police officers and transnational criminal organizations. Sibiya has remained in police custody since his arrest three weeks prior to his resignation.