In brief
Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya resigned after charges of sexual offences and trafficking surfaced. He denies wrongdoing, claiming consensual acts. The move comes amid the Madlanga Commission probing corruption and alleged ties to crime. A controversial gift exchange from a suspected kingpin adds to the scrutiny. His departure is deemed a dishonourable discharge by police officials.
South Africa’s Deputy Police Chief, Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya, resigned on Monday after being charged with multiple sexual offences, including grooming a 16‑year‑old and rape allegations involving an 18‑year‑old woman, as well as a separate trafficking charge.
Despite denying the charges and asserting that any sexual encounter with the 18‑year‑old was consensual, authorities have kept him in custody since his arrest three weeks ago following a denied bail application.
The resignation follows a broader inquiry, the Madlanga Commission, now scrutinising alleged corruption and collusion within the police service. Reports surfaced that Sibiya allegedly received a 20‑impala gift from a suspected criminal kingpin in exchange for a police contract – an allegation he has categorically denied.
Police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe described the chief’s departure as a "dishonourable discharge" in a tweet on X, reflecting the gravity of the accusations and the public scrutiny of the nation’s law‑enforcement body.
Concurrently, the commission aims to investigate the broader network of bribery, corruption and potential links between police and organised crime that could undermine security and accountability in South Africa.
