Suspended Saps Deputy Commissioner Sibiya back in court over rape, grooming and trafficking charges
Sibiya denies raping an 18‑year‑old teenager, insists the sex was consensual
Suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya was back in court on Thursday, 29 September 2026 as his bail application for multiple sexual offences continued. The 59-year-old lieutenant-general appeared before Randburg Magistrate’s Court following his arrest on 21 September at an alleged strip club in Sandton. Allegations The five charges against Sibiya include three counts of sexual grooming, one count of human trafficking and one count of rape, all linked to a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman.
The prosecution opposes bail on grounds of witness intimidation and fears that Sibiya may flee justice. Denial of rape Sibiya maintains the sexual encounter with the 18-year-old was consensual, arguing the charges are "trumped up" and part of a broader plot to remove him from the police force. "There is a diabolical plan to target me and oust me from my ambition to become National Commissioner," Sibiya told the court in his affidavit.
Evidence The state maintains it has a "watertight case" backed by video clips, WhatsApp messages and witness testimony, arguing that the seriousness of the charges—classified as Schedule 6 offences—requires Sibiya to prove exceptional circumstances for bail. Bail hearing As the bail hearing resumed, the court must weigh Sibiya's claims of a political ploy against the state's insistence that the charges reflect a pattern of abuse.
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