Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya’s confidence at the Madlanga commission continues to wane, with the suspended officer making several concessions on Tuesday.
Sibiya continued to insist he and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala were not friends. This, despite Matlala having attended an engagement party for Sibiya’s son on 14 September 2024 at his home.
“That I don’t deny [that I invited him]. What I just want us to stress and keep in mind at all times is the fact that Cat is not my friend,” said Sibiya.
“Nobody is denying that there is some sort of a relationship with Matlala and Major General Richard Shibiri, or Matlala and Witness F, even myself, let me include myself, because these are people who knew each other at that point in time.
“At that time, Matlala was not in trouble, and there was nothing really on the table. So, nobody really knew. I wouldn’t have taken the risk of inviting someone we all knew was wanted or under investigation, because my colleagues were also there. I would have been taking a big risk.”
Sibiya further denied having helped Matlala obtain access to the South African Police Service (Saps) training college in Tshwane in January 2024.
“I’m far from that process as well, so I could not have, even if I wanted to, from where I am, which is Operating. I can’t even put my finger there; it’s far from me,” said Sibiya.
ALSO READ: Saps CFO describes Cat Matlala contract as an ’embarrassment’
Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, was awarded the R360 million Saps health services contract.
The tenderpreneur needed to access the hospital within the training college to conduct medical check-ups for new recruits.
The contract was later terminated after being flagged as irregular.
Sibiya and the confidential report on Matlala
In March last year, Sibiya was forwarded a journalist’s enquiry about an audit report on Matlala’s contract, which recommended that the national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, terminate it.
The audit found that:
“The due diligence did not assess the bidder’s unethical or ethical behaviour in respect of the procurement process. The bid was not properly evaluated and should not have been awarded; an irregular expenditure of R18 592 537 has been committed.
“Evidence of misrepresentation of facts (altering of the bidding documents) and bid fronting exists in the bidding documents of the awarded bidder.”
ALSO READ: Matlala explains how he got R360m Saps tender amid fronting and compliance concerns
Sibiya shared the confidential report with Witness F, even though he knew it might be shared with Matlala, as they were friends.
‘Not top-secret’
However, the suspended top cop said he saw no issue with sharing a confidential report with a colleague.
“To me, Witness F is a colleague; he’s still in the police. Confidential is not like a top-secret document that cannot be shared with anyone. Confidential information within the police can still be shared among police officers,” said Sibiya.
“If I gave it to Witness F, it’s possible that I might have sent it to him, and if I did, in my mind, I might have really not taken into consideration the fact that this is a confidential document, even if it comes from a journalist. Still, I cannot send it to any other person.”
Commission chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga took issue with Sibiya’s response.
“Under normal circumstances, that would be a cogent explanation. But you have said that when you shared some communications with Witness F, you understood that because of their proximity, he would probably share those with Matlala,” said Madlanga.
“Surely you must have expected that Witness F would probably share even these communications with Matlala. So, it cuts across this idea that this was a Saps member sharing with a Saps member and would then be contained within two Saps members.”
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