‘Show Us the Evidence’: Sibiya Dismisses Claims of “Big Five” Crime Syndicate

Denial at the Centre of a Storm

Suspended Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has pushed back hard against allegations that he is tied to a criminal network known as the “Big Five” cartel. Speaking before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on police corruption, Sibiya said the claims are not only unfounded, they’re based on rumours with no arrests or evidence to back them.

“The Big Five that is being spoken about is not there,” he insisted. “And if it is indeed true it exists, why are they not being arrested for drugs or for whatever reason? Personally, I am not involved in the Big Five, I don’t know the Big Five.”

His remarks come as SAPS leadership faces mounting scrutiny over internal wrongdoing, political interference, and shadowy criminal links.

Who’s Accusing Him and Why?

Sibiya didn’t make these comments in a vacuum. His own boss, National Police Commissioner Gen. Fannie Masemola, and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have both accused him of being entangled in corruption and possibly tied to the alleged Big Five network.

Masemola previously told the Madlanga Commission that Sibiya tried to make abrupt leadership changes shortly after his appointment in 2023, including allegedly removing Lt-Gen. Dumisani Khumalo from the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and attempting to take control of the SAPS cold case unit.

To Masemola, these moves suggested a bid to protect certain individuals and centralise power under Sibiya’s command. Khumalo, meanwhile, went further, naming individuals he says form part of the syndicate.

The Cartel Claim: Drugs, Hits, and Hijackings

According to Khumalo’s testimony, the so-called “Big Five” includes figures like Katiso Molefe and businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. He claims the group is involved in everything from drug trafficking and tender fraud to contract killings and cross-border vehicle hijackings.

More ominously, Khumalo alleges that the syndicate has political cover.

“The Big Five has already penetrated the political arena,” he told the commission, adding that there are “documented cases linking the group to high-profile political figures.”

If true, that suggests the police aren’t just battling criminals, they’re battling their own leadership’s enablers.

Sourced: IOL

Sibiya’s Counter-Punch: “Where Are the Arrests?”

Despite the seriousness of the claims, Sibiya says there’s no proof, no dockets, no arrests, no convictions.

To him, that silence speaks volumes.

He also used his appearance to address whispers about his role in the shutdown of the Political Killings Task Team. The disbandment has been politically explosive, especially in KZN where political assassinations have tormented internal party structures and councillor contests.

Sibiya insisted the PKTT wasn’t dismantled to protect criminals, and called rumours about unattended case files “misinformation.” He further questioned why he wasn’t kept in the loop about the task team’s work in the first place if people believe he had such control over it.

Public Mood: Suspicion on All Sides

Reaction online has been split and sceptical:

• “If the Big Five is real, why no arrests?”

• “This sounds like internal SAPS politics disguised as criminal intelligence.”

• “Someone is lying, either the cops or the criminals in uniform.”

• “How do entire cartels exist without a single raid?”

South Africans have become used to big claims with little follow-up, from “rogue units” to “mafias” in construction, rail, taxis, and coal. The so-called Big Five is now the latest ghost syndicate in the public imagination, either a cover story or a real threat no one is willing to take down.

What Happens Next?

Sibiya returns to Parliament on Tuesday to continue giving testimony. MPs are expected to press him on three main points:

• Who really controls elite police units?

• Is there a criminal cartel with political backing?

• And if not, who benefits from keeping the rumours alive?

For now, it’s a case of accusation versus denial, with the public caught in the middle, watching a police service at war with itself.

Whether the “Big Five” is a myth, a smokescreen, or an untouchable reality, nobody has produced the proof.

And Sibiya is daring his accusers to do just that.

{Source: IOL}

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