Shibiri believes cops promised promotions for testifying negatively against him

Suspended top cop Richard Shibiri said he believes some officers were promised career advancement in exchange for testifying negatively against him at the Madlanga Commission.

Shibiri said witness A, who serves under him in the Organised Crime Unit at the South African Police Service (SAPS), has recently been promoted following his testimony at the commission.

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When witness A testified in 2025, he accused Shibiri of trying to suppress the investigation into the murder of Vereneeiging engineer Armand Swart by attempting to bribe him and other investigators who were on the case.

Suspected cartel boss Katiso "KT" Molefe was later arrested for orchestrating Swart’s murder, who worked for a firm that blew the lid on a corrupt Transnet tender he was involved in.

Testifying before the commission on Wednesday morning, Shibiri said he is in possession of a signed affidavit by Sergeant Daniel Motaung, who was promised a promotion in exchange for providing adverse information on him.

“My intention in placing these facts is not to cast aspersions upon any individual, but to ensure the commission has the benefit of all relevant circumstances when evaluating the evidence before [it].”

Shibiri said he never belonged to any factions within the top echelons of the SAPS.
 
One faction is said to be led by the national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, while the other is led by his deputy, Shadrack Sibiya. 
 
WhatsApp chats before the commission show Shibiri regularly exchanged “negative” news articles about officers in the Masemola camp with his buddy and colleague, Sergeant Fannie Nkosi.

“For the 38 years I had in the police, I never belonged to any faction, and I will never belong to a faction now because I’m about to exit. I sent one positive (article) to say a person who seemed to be a menace is arrested, I think it is positive. But the others, I didn’t have anything to send about them.”