The South African Police Service (SAPS) is facing a grave crisis of gender-based violence (GBV) after its deputy national commissioner for crime detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, was arrested on September 21, 2026, on charges of rape and grooming a 16-year-old girl. Sibiya, 59, is accused of three counts of sexually grooming a minor, one count of human trafficking, and one count of raping an 18-year-old woman in a Sandton hotel in May. A sixth charge of unlawful possession of a firearm was added later.
Sibiya's arrest came as a shock to the nation, particularly as it coincided with the discovery of the bodies of 11 women dumped along the R21 and near rivers and roadsides in Ekurhuleni. The police have confirmed arrests in only three of those cases, while the other eight bodies remain at the Germiston mortuary, waiting to be identified. The incident has raised concerns about the police service's ability to investigate and prevent GBV cases.
According to Detective Nokukhanya Ndlovu's testimony, teenage girls were pressured into drinking games and twerking and were supplied with alcohol until one of them collapsed. Sibiya denies all the allegations, claiming that the sex was consensual and that the charges are "trumped up" and part of a "diabolical plan to target me and oust me from my ambition to become National Commissioner". His defense has been described as a textbook manifestation of toxic masculinity.
The arrest has also raised questions about the leadership of SAPS and its moral authority to lead the fight against GBV. Sibiya had already been suspended before his arrest, after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused senior leaders of interfering in investigations. President Cyril Ramaphosa has since announced a 90-day emergency plan to tackle GBV, which includes a national case-recovery operation for all unresolved murders and rapes of women and children.
However, the plan's success depends entirely on a competent, trusted detective service. With Sibiya facing charges, it is unclear how the police can regain the trust of the public, particularly women, who are often reluctant to report GBV cases to the police. In Ekurhuleni, 17 women have been reported missing in Kempton Park alone since January, and families have waited days to report their loved ones missing due to a lack of trust in the police.
The incident has also highlighted the existence of two systems of justice in South Africa. While the Commission's Recommendations Task Team (CRTT) moved swiftly to arrest Sibiya, the state has been criticized for not acting with the same urgency in cases involving ordinary women. The President has promised that GBV cases will not be allowed to go cold, but women are skeptical about the police's ability to investigate and prevent such crimes.
To rebuild public confidence, it is essential that Sibiya faces both criminal prosecution and disciplinary action. The 90-day plan must also include the vetting of all SAPS members who work on GBV and sexual offences cases. Furthermore, the Madlanga Commission's work must be completed, and its recommendations made public to prevent senior officers from interfering with dockets for political reasons.
Key points
- SAPS faces a crisis of gender-based violence after its deputy national commissioner for crime detection was arrested on charges of rape and grooming a 16-year-old girl.
- The incident has raised concerns about the police service's ability to investigate and prevent GBV cases, particularly in light of the discovery of the bodies of 11 women in Ekurhuleni.
- To rebuild public confidence, it is essential that SAPS takes concrete steps to address GBV within its ranks and ensures that perpetrators face justice.
