Gwamanda exposes Sibiya's alleged rogue network as the crisis within SAPS worsens
In a dramatic public statement released this week, Johannesburg Councillor Kabelo Gwamanda accused Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of running a rogue intelligence operation within the City of Johannesburg, unlawfully procuring surveillance equipment from Israeli contractors and using his position to target political opponents.
Gwamanda's statement, issued in his capacity, laid out a chilling picture of institutional capture, political retaliation, and deep-rooted corruption inside the South African Police Service.
Gwamanda, who briefly served as Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, alleges that during Sibiya's tenure as Group Head of the City's Forensic and Investigation Services (GFIS), the unit acquired intelligence-gathering tools through illegal channels, concealed damaging forensic reports, and weaponised law enforcement to protect political allies.
'This raises serious questions about political interference and institutional failure,' said Gwamanda, pointing to a 2022 criminal case he opened against former Mayor Mpho Phalatse, then-Speaker Vasco Da Gama, and the Democratic Alliance, which remains unresolved three years later.
Gwamanda's warning was unambiguous: 'The appointment of Sibiya as Deputy Commissioner while he is under investigation is an affront to justice. The president must account for how such an appointment was made.'
The councillor also described how, after raising alarms about the illegal operations within GFIS, he became the target of a 'politically motivated smear campaign' led by the same individuals he had accused.
Gwamanda claims he was unlawfully arrested in October 2024 without a charge sheet, based on manipulated evidence allegedly manufactured by Sibiya and his allies. After 18 months, the charges were quietly withdrawn due to lack of evidence, but the damage to his reputation remained.
His statement referenced recent developments in KwaZulu-Natal, commending Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for speaking out against alleged interference by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Sibiya.
'It is precisely this kind of leadership that victims of politically motivated persecution hope to see,' said Gwamanda.
'I now raise my voice on behalf of countless South Africans who suffer the miscarriage of justice, where victims rely on perpetrators for protection.'
Mkhwanazi ignited national controversy on Sunday by accusing Mchunu and Sibiya of undermining critical police investigations into politically motivated killings. He claimed they disbanded a specialised task team without his knowledge and interfered directly with the operations of the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS.
Mkhwanazi also presented screenshots of WhatsApp conversations between Mchunu and individuals linked to organised crime, suggesting an active relationship between the Minister and suspected criminal networks.
His press conference was backed by armed officers in tactical gear, and his tone was unequivocal: South Africa's crime-fighting machinery is being systematically sabotaged from the top.
Yet in the face of these revelations, forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan launched a scathing counteroffensive — not against the accused officials, but against Mkhwanazi.
In a media interview, O'Sullivan said he wanted Mkhwanazi 'to fall,' accusing the commissioner of abusing his position and violating the principle of civilian oversight of the police.
This isn't O'Sullivan's first clash with SAPS leadership.
Last week, he issued an ultimatum to National Commissioner Fannie Masemola to suspend officers recently arrested for corruption or face a court challenge.
O'Sullivan claimed these arrests were the result of his 20-year anti-corruption crusade, during which he says he spent over R15 million of his funds and helped bring down two national commissioners and dozens of senior officers.
But conspicuously missing from O'Sullivan's criticism is any meaningful scrutiny of Mchunu.
Despite the minister being directly accused of colluding with crime syndicates, O'Sullivan has expressed confidence in his integrity.
This has prompted some observers to ask a difficult question: Why is Paul O'Sullivan going out of his way to shield Mchunu?
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