Matlala says Sibiya threatened his family to silence him
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
According to testimony before the Madlanga Commission, former deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya allegedly threatened the wife of Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala to stop him revealing information about him. These threats feature in Matlala’s statement, made public on Monday, given under a plea agreement with the IDAC that has since been abandoned, according to the Sunday Times.
Witness Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala says former deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya threatened his wife, Tsakani, to silence him. He states this in his written statement, made public on Monday and presented to the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating criminal infiltration of South Africa’s security forces.
According to this statement, Sibiya called Mrs Matlala before her husband’s hearing before the ad hoc parliamentary committee last November, to tell her that her husband must reveal nothing about him, failing which the family’s lives would be in danger. In the same document, Matlala says he paid 500,000 rand to Sibiya to secure the award to his company Medicare24 of a 228 million rand tender issued by the police (SAPS). He denies this payment, which he attributes to a transfer through the account of a friend, Given Makofane, and admits only handing over 50,000 rand. Sibiya told the commission he received no money from Matlala. Asked about these threats, Matlala refused to comment, without naming the person he wants to protect.
The statement was part of a plea bargain negotiated with the IDAC, the anti-corruption directorate, which has since been abandoned. The Madlanga Commission has authorised the use of Matlala’s abandoned agreement in its work.
