Suspended deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya has denied allegations of rape, sexual assault, human trafficking and offences involving a 16-year-old girl, telling the Randburg Magistrate’s Court that he intends to plead not guilty.
Sibiya, who was arrested in Sandton on 21 September 2026, brought an urgent bail application before the court. He faces five charges arising from alleged incidents in May 2026 and alleged interactions with a minor between July and August.
According to the charge sheet, Sibiya allegedly took a woman and two other women to The Grand club in Sandton, where he bought them food and alcohol before continuing to provide them with liquor at the Garden Court Hotel.
The state alleges that after the complainant became unconscious, Sibiya raped her. The charge sheet further alleges that he later made a remark to her friends about her after leaving the hotel room.
Sibiya disputes the allegations.
In his bail application, read out by his legal representative, Sibiya said the sexual encounter with the complainant was consensual and denied that the women were vulnerable or sexually exploited.
He told the court that when he met the complainant and the other two women previously and they were already highly intoxicated when he encountered them at the Garden Court. He further stated that he was there at the invitation of his acquaintance, referred to as Mr M.
Sibiya said he left approximately 30 minutes after finding them at the hotel.
According to his version, the following day, Mr M told him that the women wanted to see him again and they subsequently went to The Grand.
He said he and the complainant were eventually left alone in a room and had consensual intercourse.
“I deny I committed any of the offences placed in the charge sheet,” Sibiya said in his bail application.
He further stated that he intended to contest the charges on their merits and would plead not guilty.
Sibiya is also accused of grooming a 16-year-old girl through WhatsApp between July and August 2026.
The charge sheet alleges that he sent her sexually explicit images of herself, encouraged her to send further sexual material and possessed and distributed sexual images involving the minor.
Sibiya gave a different account of how he came into possession of one of the videos.
He told the court that Mr M had received a video involving his daughter and forwarded it to him. Sibiya said he questioned why the video had been distributed and later forwarded it to the girl at her request so that she could confirm its contents.
He said the girl told him she had a crush on him and that she was unaware her father had the video.
Sibiya also questioned aspects of the state’s version concerning the images, saying the allegation that he had sent the girl nude photographs raised questions about how he had obtained them.
Sibiya argued that there were no grounds for keeping him in custody and told the court that he would not evade trial or interfere with witnesses.
He denied ever threatening or instructing anyone to intimidate witnesses and said he had no history of violent behaviour.
He also rejected an allegation that there had been a plan for him to flee the country.
Sibiya argued that he was firmly rooted in South Africa through his family and that leaving the country would be impractical given his public profile.
He said he had been aware that his arrest was imminent but had not attempted to flee and instead cooperated with authorities.
The suspended police general further argued that his continued incarceration would prejudice him and that his release would not undermine the administration of justice or endanger the complainant.
“I humbly submit that the interest of justice, consideration of prejudice permits my release on bail,” his application states.
Sibiya also raised concerns about the alleged leaking of the detailed charge sheet to the media and social media.
The bail application is before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, where the court will consider the competing submissions from the defence and state.
*This is a developing story*