Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya is facing a sixth criminal charge after prosecutors added an allegation relating to the unlawful storage of a firearm.
The additional charge was announced on Thursday, 1 October 2026, as the 59-year-old’s bail application resumed in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
Sibiya is already facing several serious charges, including the rape of an 18-year-old woman, the sexual grooming of a 16-year-old girl and human trafficking. He has not yet pleaded to the charges.
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According to the State, the grooming occurred through electronic communications between July and August 2026.
During earlier bail proceedings, the court heard allegations that Sibiya had communicated with the minor through WhatsApp and received an explicit video depicting her.
Sibiya has denied the allegations, maintaining that the video was sent to him by the girl’s father, who had expressed disappointment in his daughter. He further claimed that the father had informed him that the girl had developed a crush on him, which he subsequently raised with her during their WhatsApp exchanges.
The magistrate questioned why the father would have sent the video to Sibiya in the first place.
Sibiya has also challenged the authority of the investigative task team established under the Madlanga Commission, which is handling the matter.
The State has opposed his release on bail, raising concerns about possible witness intimidation involving people close to him. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has also cited concerns that he could evade trial if released.
Sibiya first appeared in court on 22 September and has remained in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria while his bail application continues.
His arrest follows months of scrutiny surrounding his conduct within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
He was previously suspended amid allegations linking him to the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team and the removal of more than 120 investigation dockets from the unit. Those matters have also featured in proceedings connected to the Madlanga Commission.
The latest firearm-related charge brings the total number of charges against Sibiya to six.
The allegations against him have not been tested at trial.
