General Shadrack Sibiya testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on 18 February. (Photo: Frennie Shivambu / Gallo Images) The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into corruption in South Africa’s criminal justice system has heard how Deputy National Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya invited the alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to his son’s engagement party.
Two other generals also attended the September 2024 event, as did Matlala’s wife, showing a network of infiltration by the tenderpreneur, who is in jail awaiting trial for attempted murder.
Matlala had tenders of more than R300-million from the SA Police Service and was using his influence to secure more.
Since he was ensnared by KZN provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s bombshell allegations of criminal infiltration of the police in July 2025, Sibiya has denied proximity to and providing favours for Matlala.
Those denials fell short in evidence at the commission on Monday, 23 February.
/file/attachments/2986/ED_588170_153997.jpg "Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala testifies at the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee inquiry at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility in Pretoria on 27 November 2025. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu / Gallo Images)")
WhatsApp chats between Sibiya and Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, his go-between, revealed the relationship. In one set, Sibiya texted Nkosi to tell “Cat” to “make a turn”.
“What does ‘make a turn’ mean?” asked evidence leader advocate Adila Hassim of Sibiya.
“He had to fetch his wife [who was tipsy and couldn’t drive],” said Sibiya.
This suggested a deeper relationship than “making a turn”, and the commissioners probed how she got to the party.
/file/attachments/2988/WhatsAppImage2026-02-23at145502_922788.jpeg "Redacted WhatsApp message showing that General Shadrack Sibiya invited tenderpreneur Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala to his son’s engagement party. (Source: Supplied)")
The commission heard that Matlala’s wife, Tsakane Matlala, is close to General Sandra Malebe-Thema, who brought her to the party along with General Hilda Senthumule. (Maleba-Thema, also something of an entrepreneur, was implicated in the Life Esidimeni scandal, as Marianne Thamm reported here.)
The commission heard on Wednesday, 18 February, that Matlala had also allegedly gifted Senthumule a “Brazilian butt lift” surgery, performed by a “Dr Pert”. The high-ranking police officer denied this.
Hearing evidence of a party attended not just by one, not two, but three SAPS generals, the commission’s proceedings revealed just how networked and influential Matlala had become.
Sibiya tried to spin his way out of it, saying that Nkosi had arranged for Matlala to fetch his wife, who had had a little too much to drink. But the evidence showed that the go-between had made the arrangement early on the morning of 14 September 2024, long before Mrs Matlala could have had a few too many.
“I put it to you that your interpretation is not believable,” said Hassim.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga was not buying it either.
“To an ordinary reader, that sounds like you were inviting Mr Matlala. The idea that he was picking up his wife, who had had a lot of liquor, does not make much sense. You were inviting him.”
To which Sibiya replied: “I said, ‘Ask Cat to make a turn,’ and as far as I am concerned, there was nothing wrong.”
The impala stampede
After he was fired by the police in 2015 (the Labour Court later ordered his reinstatement), Sibiya took his package and bought a “plot”, which he stocked with game. By his own account, he was not very good at game farming.
“Over time, a number of animals died,” he told the commission. “The upkeep of the antelope proved burdensome.”
He used “antelope” and “impala” interchangeably, possibly to confuse the commissioners because one of the allegations he faces is that Matlala restocked his farm with impala in return for favours. These included trying to sort out his police tender troubles and helping to have a troublesome social media gossip star arrested.
The commission’s WhatsApp trove showed that a location pin to Sibiya’s farm had been sent to a game supplier who was to drop off something.
“I was engaged in meetings and sent [fixer Nkosi] a location,” said Sibaya.
He said that the wrong animal was brought and claimed to have also told his man that he could not take anything from Matlala because he was a police service provider.
He claimed to have a single blesbok left of his stock, but then added the detail (not in his affidavit) that a mystery Zimbabwean gardener had helped him acquire four impala. That new detail sent the commissioners hunting.
“You went to some length to explain your salary has dropped and you can’t afford to keep animals. Coincidentally, in March 2024, you acquired four more. Do you see the inconsistency?”
To which Sibiya said: “To buy four more is not an inconsistency.”
Asked by Commissioner Sandile Khumalo about impala images in the WhatsApp messages, Sibiya replied: “I’ve never said they are not impala.”
To which Khumalo replied: “They either are or they are not.”
It fell to Commissioner Baloyi, herself something of a wildlife aficionado, to get to the bones of the story.
“You say you had antelopes, blesboks and emu. Then you say, over time, a significant number died. The last of the antelope died in 2023, and only one blesbok remains on the property.
“The important part is that you go on to say the antelopes, emu and blesbok died. Nowhere do you remember having impalas on your property. The first time there were impalas on your farm is in your oral evidence. It’s curious and notable that your statement does not own up, and it comes up only once you’ve seen the picture [in] the WhatsApp messages. Can you make it make sense?”
He couldn’t.
“Is it a fair proposition to say you were close to Mr Matlala? There may be a difference of degree [but there was a relationship],” said Baloyi, pointing to the impala, the voice notes and the engagement party.
“Do you agree it signifies a relationship?” asked the advocate, whose style is like a steel hand in a velvet glove. To which Sibiya replied: “I wouldn’t agree.”
Sibiya’s cross-examination continues on 24 February. DM