WhatsApp messages extracted from the phone of a police officer working with deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya have shown how he became a link between his boss and alleged cartel members.
On Tuesday, the Madlanga commission used messages from Witness F’s phone to paint a picture of how he facilitated the transfer of impalas from alleged cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala on behalf of his “number one” — Sibiya — in March 2024.
In the conversations presented at the commission, Matlala asks Witness F where he should deliver the animals.
Minutes later, Witness F asks Sibiya the same question, and Sibiya responded with his address.
Adv Matthew Chaskalson, one of the evidence leaders, asked Witness F if he could confirm that the address belonged to Sibiya.
“I can confirm, commissioners,” he responded.
When Chaskalson asked him whether he arranged meetings between Matlala and Sibiya, he responded: “I cannot say that. When they wanted to meet, they would meet through me. I am not arranging; I am just passing the message.”
The commission also revealed another text to purportedly draw the link between Witness F, Sibiya and another alleged cartel member, the late Jothan “Mswazi” Msibi.
Msibi, the late taxi boss, had been labelled as the leader of the “big five” cartel, which deals with drug distribution, kidnappings and contract killings, among other criminal acts.
Witness F had received a text message from Sibiya in 2023 alerting him that he was rushing to OR Tambo International Airport, where Eswatini deputy commissioner William Tsintsibala Dlamini had collapsed and died.
Witness F then forwarded the message to Msibi and said it was from “number one”.
When asked why he would send police information to a civilian, Witness F said it was because he knew that Msibi had an interest in Eswatini affairs.
Chaskalson then asked about the relationship and he responded that he was raised by Msibi until grade 11.
“I looked up to him as a father, and he looked at me as a son,” he said.
Previously, the commission saw a video of Witness F exiting the home of alleged cartel member Katiso “KT” Molefe with a paper bag that was suspected to have contained money.
Chaskalson also used the WhatsApp communication to show that Witness F was the middleman between Sibiya and businessman Steve Motsumi — a man who was previously described as “very dangerous”.
In a text from June 2024, Witness F attempted to organise a meeting between Sibiya and Motsumi. He also shared sensitive police information with him regarding a cash-in-transit case in Limpopo.
Witness F said he did not see anything wrong in that, as Motsumi did not have an interest in the case, and also to show that he (Witness F) was busy with the case.
The chats also revealed a conversation about firearm dealings between him and someone whose number had been saved under the name of the late deputy president, David Mabuza.
The WhatsApp message was sent in March 2024 from a number saved as “Comrade DD Mabuza, deputy president” and asked Witness F if he knew someone who would be interested in purchasing firearms.
“Hey brother — do you have a market for a compact CQC [close quarter combat] 12-gauge shotgun manufactured in South Africa [pic attached].
“I have access to 750 units in knockdown component form [plus spares] ready for shipping with matching Flash Bang Ammo [see videos] at family price,” the text read.
However, Witness F told the commission that the person he was chatting to was Mabuza’s nephew, Siphiwe Mabuza, and not the late deputy president himself.
Explaining why he saved Siphiwe’s number as Mabuza’s, Witness F said it was because Siphiwe was obsessed with the late deputy president and often talked about him.
However, Chaskalson said he found that difficult to believe.
The commission is expected to resume on Wednesday.
Sowetan
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