Sibiya allegedly paralyzed Crime Intel appointments, Khumalo tells Madlanga

Crime Intel. Chief, Lt-Gen. Dumisani Khumalo said the suspended deputy police commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, might have had a hand in controlling appointments within the intelligence division, allegedly stalling the process.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday, Khumalo said Sibiya by passed standard recruitment procedures and may have run to the suspended Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, to freeze the filling of critical vacancies at Crime Intelligence.

Khumalo said Sibiya insisted that the appointment of senior officials required his approval and ministerial backing, effectively paralysing the recruitment process.

According to Khumalo, the impasse began when Sibiya rejected the selection panel he had proposed to oversee the recruitment of senior officers.

“The panel I recommended was not supported by Sibiya, which led to a stalemate,” Khumalo told the commission.

“Even after I raised the matter with National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, there was no clear way forward.”

The dispute came to a head on December 31, 2024, when Mchunu issued a directive freezing Crime Intelligence appointments and disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Khumalo said he was neither consulted nor briefed before the decision, describing the move as a “surprise” and a blow to officers who felt their work had been devalued.

“The letter disbanding the PKTT doesn’t make sense,” he said, adding that only the writer can explain it.

Khumalo said after the directive circulated on social media, more than 100 officers, especially the PKTT members expressed dismay.

Khumalo said he did not enjoy his New Year’s Eve like everyone else because of the letter.

“On the 1st, I had to ask [Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla] Mkhwanazi to convene a meeting with the members so that we can encourage them.

“There was nothing much to say but to tell them that they must continue doing what they were supposed to do,” he said.

Khumalo further warned that the ongoing vacancies have crippled operational capacity and exposed a serious policy oversight within SAPS.

“The drafters of the policy never foresaw disputes of this nature arising. The vacant posts are a problem — their impact is significant,” he said.

The Crime Intelligence Division remains in limbo, with critical leadership positions still unfilled nearly a year later.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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