Sibiya Denies Personal Links With Brown Mogotsi And Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala

Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lt General Shadrack Sibiya, has firmly denied claims suggesting he shared a personal relationship with controversial businessman and activist Brown Mogotsi.

Appearing before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Monday—tasked with probing allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi—Sibiya explained that his engagement with Mogotsi was strictly professional and limited to the exchange of information.

Sibiya said he first learned of Mogotsi when the activist contacted him to share intelligence concerning gender-based corruption and political issues in the North West province.

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“He called me and informed me that the intelligence people were listening to me and investigating me,” Sibiya said.

He confirmed that phone records would back up his version of events and stressed that, as a senior officer, it was common for him to receive information from citizens and officials alike.

Sibiya added that Mogotsi’s updates were often consistent with what he already knew from his work, saying he never ignored the activist’s calls because the information “was often relevant.”

Only Two Meetings Between Sibiya and Mogotsi

The deputy commissioner told the committee he met Mogotsi only twice in person. The first encounter took place during official police operations in the North West, while the second was a brief greeting in Cape Town ahead of the ANC’s January 8 celebrations.

He dismissed any notion that Mogotsi had tried to use influence or “name-dropping” to access him, clarifying that their communication revolved solely around the exchange of information.

“The information that he gave me, you find that is the information that I know and that I see is happening around me,” the deputy said.

Sibiya Addresses Concerns Over Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala

On the matter of Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, Sibiya told Parliament that he only became aware of the service provider after joining SAPS. Matlala, whose company Medicare 24 operates health services at a police college, had approached the police leadership with concerns over a tender dispute earlier this year.

According to Sibiya, Matlala met with him in February 2024 to raise issues about being awarded a contract but allegedly being blocked from accessing the facility to fulfil it. Matlala had also sent a letter of demand to National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, which Sibiya presented to the committee.

After consulting with Masemola, Sibiya said it was concluded that Public Works could not dictate how SAPS used its buildings. The tender therefore proceeded without interruption, and no legal challenges followed.

He added that Matlala continued to attend SAPS events, where his company offered health screenings alongside other service providers.

“He is a person who was just known by a lot of generals and other colleagues,” Sibiya concluded.

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