SAPS Inquiry | 'Big Five Cartel' does not exist - Shadrack Sibiya
South Africa - Cape Town - 13 October 2025 - Shadrack Sibiya, the suspended Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, is in the hot seat at the Ad Hoc Committee.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Suspended deputy police commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya, has flatly denied any ties to the alleged Big 5 cartel, calling the claims baseless and questioning why no arrests have been made if the group truly exists.
Sibiya told the Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday that there was no concrete proof of the alleged criminal network.
“The Big 5 that is being spoken about is not there and if it is indeed true it is there it exists why are they not being arrested for drugs or for whatever reason it may be.
“But personally, I am not involved in the Big 5, I don’t know the Big 5,” Sibiya said.
Here is a graphic that Lt-Gen. Dumisani Khumalo used to illustrate the three members of the cartel, whom he said he will not reveal at this stage due to ongoing investigations. Katiso Molefe and Vusimuzi Matlala are part of the Big Five cartel.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL News
His response comes amid growing speculation and public pressure over the syndicate’s supposed influence.
Sibiya was accused by his boss, Gen. Fannie Masemola and KZN Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, for being involved in the alleged corruption in the police force.
Masemola previously told the Madlanga Commission that Sibiya, tried to take control of the cold case unit abruptly, and replaced Lt-Gen. Dumisani Khumalo from the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) with another general.
This is a move that he believed was to protect criminals.
Masemola outlined a series of troubling actions taken by Sibiya shortly after his appointment as deputy, describing them as deliberate efforts to weaken oversight mechanisms and consolidate power under his direct control.
Expanding on the issue of organised crime, Khumalo informed the commission that Katiso Molefe and controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala were part of the so-called "Big Five" cartel — a criminal network involved in drug trafficking, tender fraud, contract killings, and cross-border vehicle hijackings.
According to Khumalo, the cartel has infiltrated the political sphere and is actively collaborating with politicians for personal and financial gain.
“The Big Five has already penetrated the political arena, and there are documented cases linking the group to high-profile political figures,” Khumalo stated, adding that senior politicians are allegedly complicit in the cartel's operations.
However, during a parliamentary session, Sibiya denied the existence of the cartel.
He also defended his decision to disband the PKTT, dismissing claims that the unit’s case dockets were left unattended in his office as misinformation.
Additionally, he questioned his exclusion from PKTT operations.
Sibiya is expected to continue his testimony before Parliament on Tuesday.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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