“I know they want to push me out; I will never resign. They must fire me.” These were the words of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya after his house was raided.
This follows the raid that started at 3 am on Thursday.
Sibiya explained that he had anticipated the police raid at his Centurion residence since 2024. Officers came to search and seize the house, he said, and they took away several electronic devices that belonged to everyone inside.
Sibiya further claimed that he has been under constant surveillance and feels “under siege,” calling the raid an abuse of power.
He added that he was worried about his family and that, even though they had done nothing wrong, he hoped the police would take into account how their actions affected them.
“I wish my colleagues could at least be thinking of my kids, my family; they haven't done anything wrong for them to be traumatised like this. I know they want to push me out. I will never resign; they must fire me,” Sibiya emphasised.
Sibiya, who is expected to appear before the Ad Hoc Committee on Monday, said the police officers were decent and cooperative and that they treated him with respect. He added that the raid occurred under normal circumstances, during which he was also cooperative, and that several electronic devices were confiscated.
“I gave them what they needed. I gave them a laptop. There is nothing in the laptop, 3 or 4 cellphones," he said.
Sibiya further alleged that the raid was a deliberate tactic to disrupt and intimidate him, adding that he was not paying attention to what Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was saying as he focused on preparing for his appearance before the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc Committee.
“The whole exercise is to confuse me and keep me under pressure. I am under siege, and my life, as well as that of my family, is in danger. There are cars coming here with false registration numbers,” he claimed.
Sibiya questioned the timing of the raid, noting that it occurred just as he was preparing to appear before the Commission and the Committee. He said it was suspicious that his gadgets were confiscated at a crucial time when he was expected to participate, like other officials before him.
In front of the entire nation, he said, he feels singled out and attacked, and he is being called various names.
Sibiya has recently found himself at the centre of national attention following explosive allegations from Mkhwanazi claiming that Sibiya, along with suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and others, is part of a syndicate allegedly working to obstruct police operations across the country.
In order to prevent rumours, RiseMzansi urged authorities to provide formal justifications for the raid on Sibiya's home.
“We note the police raid at the residence of suspended Deputy National Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya.
''At this stage there is no official communication from the police on what’s behind the raid. It thus becomes important for the National Commissioner to give the official reasons for the raid so that there are no speculations.”
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za