The suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner, General Shadrack Sibiya, appeared before the Randburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday in connection with allegations of rape, trafficking in persons and sexual grooming of a child.

Sibiya faces five charges, including rape, trafficking in persons, promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two counts of sexual grooming of a child.

The charges relate to alleged incidents between 16 May 2026 and 3 August 2026 involving an adult female complainant and a 16-year-old child.

The State has alleged that the accused sexually groomed the child through electronic communication and is further linked to an alleged incident of rape involving the adult complainant.

Sibiya also faces a charge of trafficking in persons arising from allegations involving three individuals.

The State requested a seven-day postponement to allow for the enrolment and hearing of a formal bail application.
The matter was postponed to 29 September 2026 for bail proceedings.

The State says it will oppose bail. Sibiya has been remanded in custody at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria after a request from the NPA. This reportedly follows intelligence indicating a potential escape risk while in police custody.

Sibiya and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi have been embroiled in a high-profile feud, marked by allegations of corruption, interference in organised crime investigations and a power struggle within the South African Police Service.

The dispute became public in July 2025, when Mkhwanazi held his now infamous press conference, in which he accused Sibiya of having links to criminal networks and of playing a role in dismantling sensitive investigations.

At the centre of the allegations were 121 dockets linked to the Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal. Mkhwanazi claimed the dockets were improperly moved from the province to Sibiya’s office in Gauteng.

Mkhwanazi subsequently barred Sibiya from operating or intervening in KwaZulu-Natal, saying there could be “no peace between a criminal and a police officer.”

Sibiya has denied wrongdoing.

During his testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, he accused Mkhwanazi of making false allegations and said the provincial commissioner was trying to prevent him from succeeding Fannie Masemola as national police commissioner.

The dispute also became a major focus of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in law enforcement.

The commission heard evidence concerning alleged financial links, tender payments and people associated with Sibiya.

In August 2026, the Madlanga Commission recommended that criminal investigations be opened into Sibiya’s conduct.