Sibiya laments Mkhwanazi’s social media ‘attacks’ and ‘humiliation’ by MK party

Suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has lamented the unfair treatment he claims to have received from the MK party and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s supporters on social media.

Sibiya testified at the Madlanga commission on Wednesday, where he addressed matters concerning the political killings task team (PKTT) and his testimony at the ad hoc committee in parliament.

Since Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo’s arrest and Mkhwanazi’s media briefing last year, Sibiya’s life has not been easy, he told the commission.

“After General Mkhwanazi’s media briefing and General Khumalo’s arrest, there was a newspaper article saying the national commissioner was going to be arrested the following week. I didn’t even know why they were arrested at the time,” he explained.

“There was a march planned in KZN by the MK party. The party said the march was against crime in general, GBV and in support of Mkhwanazi.”

‘Unnecessary drama’

He said the national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, sent him to KZN to receive the memorandum from MK party members.

“I said I would go. But he knew and understood the relationship that I have with General Mkhwanazi, that the relationship is not well at all, but he sent me there,” said Sibiya.

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“I decided to organise protection for myself and asked for four members of the special task force to leave with me. I was expected to be on the stage at 10am. The spokesperson came and said ‘national commissioner, but why this drama. Why do you send General Sibiya when you know that his relationship with General Mkhwanazi is not well? Now you’re creating unnecessary drama.’

“The national commissioner listened to the spokesperson and told me I did not have to go. The march was cancelled.”

MK party case against Sibiya

Following the cancellation of the march, the MK party opened a case against Sibiya for defeating the ends of justice in relation to the 121 case dockets taken from the PKTT, and also against suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

“Then I had to go and account before the MK party in parliament. I raised a concern that I have to account to the country, but the MK party opened a case against me, and I have to face them and let them ask me questions,” said Sibiya.

“There was [David] Skosana, who went and opened a case against me. All I was being asked were humiliating questions, I was being humiliated publicly, undermined throughout and after I left.

“If you listened to the MK party when questioning the witnesses who came after me, they were humiliating me and looking down on me. Even when a question did not require Sibiya, they would say, ‘You’re speaking like Sibiya.’ I was the one being attacked the most.”

Sibiya said he also saw warnings against “touching” Mkhwanazi on social media, as people threatened an uprising bigger than the July 2021 riots should anything happen to the KZN top cop.

“I was being tackled politically as well. Although there were so many allegations in the 121 dockets, there was mounting pressure on me to be pushed out of office for doing nothing wrong.”

Sibiya accused Mkhwanazi of orchestrating the social media storm targeting him. Even those who post positive things about Mkhwanazi were suspicious, said Sibiya.

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“What worries me is that when you look at all the provincial commissioners, no one is on social media, and no one is being spoken about because they don’t have followers. They are not allowed to be on social media as policemen.

“But you’ve got this one provincial commissioner who is on social media every day, and you have political parties fighting to have him, and he’s supported by the MK party. Directly or indirectly, there is no way he is not involved in these social media accounts posting about him.

“If he does not have control over what people say about him, it cannot be that it is only about General Mkhwanazi and not any other provincial commissioner. Everything that is happening about General Mkhwanzi on a daily basis is on social media. I get a lot of attacks coming from the same direction.”

‘I’m not speculating’

However, the commissioners challenged Sibiya’s claims, saying Mkhwanazi could not control what people post about him on social media.

“I don’t agree with the excuse that General Mkhwanazi is not on social media and he’s not the one responsible,” said Sibiya.

“General Mkhwanazi orchestrated these attacks. I know I’m not speculating; it is the case. I have been given the names of people responsible for General Mkhwanazi’s social media presence.”