Lt. Gen. Shadrack Sibiya’s service with the South African Police Service ended immediately on Monday 12 October, after his lawyer submitted his resignation shortly after his disciplinary hearing began on Monday morning.
SAPS confirmed the news in a press statement, saying Sibiya’s departure is considered a dishonourable discharge because he had an ongoing disciplinary case against him at the time of his resignation.
“The disciplinary hearing against Sibiya proceeded this morning, during which his legal representative submitted his resignation immediately after proceedings commenced,” the statement said.
“Since the former senior officer had an ongoing disciplinary case against him at the time of his resignation, his departure from the service is regarded as a dishonourable discharge. SAPS confirms that Lt. Gen. Sibiya’s service has been terminated with immediate effect.”
The 59-year-old faces charges of sexually grooming a 16-year-old girl and raping an 18-year-old woman at a hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg. Prosecutors allege the incidents occurred between May and August this year.
Rape and grooming allegations
According to court testimony, Sibiya allegedly took a group of young women to The Grand, a strip club in Sandton, on 16 May. The state alleges he bought them food and supplied them with alcohol before continuing to give them alcohol at the Garden Court Hotel.
Prosecutors claim the 18-year-old woman became unconscious and Sibiya sexually penetrated her without consent in a hotel room. The state also alleges he told her friends she was “very nice and still a virgin.”
Between July and August, Sibiya allegedly communicated with a 16-year-old girl through WhatsApp, sent sexually explicit material and asked her to send him explicit images or videos. The charges include promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two related counts.
Sibiya denies raping the 18-year-old. In an affidavit read during his bail application, he admitted having intercourse with her but said it was consensual. He also denies the grooming allegations, reportedly saying the 16-year-old “had a crush” on him.
He remains in custody while his bail application continues at the Randburg Magistrates’ Court. The hearing was postponed to 13 October.
Previous suspension over political killings probe
Sibiya was suspended from SAPS in September 2025 after being accused of interfering with investigations into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
He allegedly ordered 121 case dockets to be removed from the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team and transferred to police headquarters in Pretoria, reportedly without the national commissioner’s authorisation. The allegations claim this hindered or delayed investigations.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Puleng Dimpane said there can be no place in the police service for anyone accused of abusing their position or violating the rights of women and children.
“While the country continues to fight the plague of gender-based violence and femicide, there can be no place in the police service for someone accused of abusing their position or violating the rights of women and children,” she said earlier.
