Bail hearing set for suspended deputy police commissioner on five charges

Suspended deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya is due back in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court to apply formally for bail on five charges, including rape, sexual grooming and trafficking.

What is before the court

Sibiya faces five charges and is expected to appear for a formal bail application. The matter was postponed to Tuesday for that application.

Allegations detailed in charge sheet

According to IOL, a charge sheet states Sibiya took an 18‑year‑old woman and two others to The Grand “strip club” in Sandton, “[Sibiya] bought them food and plied them with liquor at The Grand and continued doing so at the Garden Court Hotel.”

According to IOL, the charge sheet reads: “When the complainant had passed out, the accused raped her and on his way out of the hotel room, he boasted to the complainant’s friends that she was very nice and still a virgin.”

Allegations involving a minor and trafficking counts

The indictment also alleges Sibiya groomed a 16‑year‑old girl via WhatsApp between July and August 2026, sent her nude photographs of herself, persuaded her to send videos of herself masturbating and possessed and distributed sexual images of her. The charge sheet further alleges the girl’s father, described as an associate of Sibiya, gave him her contact details to arrange transport in July.

The state accuses Sibiya of trafficking three people for sexual exploitation, with the alleged incidents said to have occurred between May 16 and August 3.

Custody and court process

Sibiya was remanded in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre after his arrest and earlier court appearance. The state told the court it had intelligence suggesting he might escape if held at a police station.

Legal and institutional commentary

According to IOL, legal expert Nthabiseng Dubazana said Sibiya’s charges are “extremely serious” and could require him to apply for bail under Schedule 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act. “This means he would have to show exceptional circumstances for his release on bail,” she said.

The IOL report quotes National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe as saying the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team (CRTT) had strong evidence and that SAPS would stand in solidarity with the alleged victims while stepping up efforts against gender‑based violence and femicide.

Criminologist Professor Kholofelo Rakubu was quoted as stressing the need to separate the allegations against the individual from wider institutional issues and noting that Sibiya remains presumed innocent until proven guilty by a competent court.

About the source

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