Top cop Sibiya back in court on rape, sexual grooming and trafficking charges
The National Prosecuting Authority raised concerns about the possibility of escape and witness interference as it prepared to oppose bail for Sibiya.
Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, 59, returned to court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026 for a formal plea application in connection with rape, sexual grooming, and trafficking charges.
The charges against the former Deputy National Police Commissioner include raping an 18-year-old woman while she was unconscious, coercing a 16-year-old girl into sending explicit videos, and trafficking and grooming a child.
According to the charge sheet, on May 2026, Sibiya took a woman and her friends to a strip club and a hotel in Sandton, where he allegedly drugged them with liquor. He then allegedly raped the 18-year-old victim and coerced the 16-year-old girl into sending him explicit videos.
Sibiya is currently detained at Kgosi Mampuru Prison II in Pretoria as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) prepares to oppose his bail. The NPA expressed concerns about the possibility of Sibiya escaping or interfering with witnesses during the legal proceedings. The NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago highlighted the potential risks of placing Sibiya in a police station or the Johannesburg Central Correctional Facility.
The NPA also raised concerns about witness intimidation in the case. Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police Ian Cameron acknowledged the charges against Sibiya as "extremely serious allegations" against a high-ranking police official. Cameron emphasized that such allegations against someone who served at the highest levels of the police service are "extremely serious."
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