Sibiya rejects claims he accepted 20 impalas from Cat Matlala | Madlanga Commission

Suspended SAPS deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has denied ever receiving or agreeing to receive impalas from alleged cartel leader, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, despite WhatsApp evidence showing his residential pin location was shared for a planned delivery.

Testifying on Monday before the Madlanga Commission, Sibiya was confronted with a series of messages suggesting arrangements were being made to transport impalas to his home.

“I’ve never had impalas delivered to my home,” Sibiya said repeatedly.

The commission heard that on March 21, 2024, Matlala forwarded a voice note to Witness F.

In the recording, a man asks for a pin drop “for where the impala must go.”

Witness F immediately forwarded the voice note to Sibiya with the message: “Morning it’s from Cat.”

Sibiya acknowledged receiving the message and confirmed that the WhatsApp number used in the exchange belongs to him.

He also does not dispute that he called Witness F shortly after receiving it.

Phone records show multiple calls between Matlala and Witness F within minutes of the voice note being circulated.

Later that morning, Matlala sent Witness F a screenshot of a conversation with a contact saved as “Rudi Farm Manager.”

In that exchange, Matlala told Rudi to “check your account again.”

Rudi responded that payment had been received and confirmed arrangements: the impalas would be caught on Sunday and transported on Monday “to that location.”

Matlala replied: “No problem.” The location referred to was Sibiya’s home address.

Evidence leader Adv. Adila Hassim SC questioned why a residential pin would be shared if Sibiya had rejected the animals.

Sibiya insisted he had made it clear to Witness F that he did not want impalas.

He testified that he had only asked Witness F to help him source one buck for his plot in Centurion, which he bought about a decade ago.

He said he could not afford more than one animal and would not accept anything from Matlala.

“I was not going to receive anything from the service provider,” Sibiya said. “I never allowed them to come.”

Sibiya further claimed that he reversed a separate R20,000 transaction from a friend who had allegedly wanted to gift him money for his birthday, saying he did not want to be compromised.

When asked by Co-Commissioner Sesi Baloyi whether he had blocked the delivery of the impalas due to concerns about impropriety,

Sibiya explained that he declined the impalas because he intended to acquire only one animal and could not afford more than that.

Co-Commissioner Adv. Sandile Khumalo further questioned Sibiya on how Matlala became involved in his plans to acquire the animal.

His response was not clear.

However, earlier testimony from Witness C and Witness F alleged that Matlala gifted Sibiya 20 impalas as part of a broader pattern of benefits including cash and property-related payments in exchange for police protection for a criminal network.

Sibiya rejected those claims as “false” and politically motivated.

He described the claims against him as an attempt to damage his reputation while shielding other corrupt actors within the police service.

He also challenged the presentation of the WhatsApp evidence, arguing that the messages shown to him were “hand-picked.”

Commission chair Justice Madlanga responded that the full set of communications had been disclosed.

At one point, Sibiya testified that several of his own animals had died over time, though his explanation about the cause was unclear.

The inquiry continues.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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