Mapaballo Borotho
- Police were allegedly pressured by politicians to arrest blogger Musa Khawula, the Madlanga Commission heard.
- Witness F testified that Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya ordered Khawula’s warrant to be shared with alleged kingpin Vusimuzi Matlala to assist with the arrest.
- The inquiry also revealed attempts to manage media narratives as more officials continue to be implicated.
South African police were reportedly put under pressure by politicians to throw blogger Musa Khawula behind bars.
This information was revealed by Witness F, a member of the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday.
Witness F told the commission that he shared Khawula’s arrest warrant with alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, on the order of suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
He said Sibiya instructed him to share the warrant so that Matlala’s security company could use it to assist police in arresting Khawula.
This as Sibiya was reportedly getting pressure from Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale to throw Musa into prison.
Khawula was arrested in January 2025 following a criminal complaint laid by businessman Ze Nxumalo. However, at face value, the charges of contravening the Cybercrimes Act did not constitute the urgency with which he was arrested.
Police were reportedly placed under pressure to arrest Khawula only after he allegedly insulted ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
“The members that he (Musa) created crime against is Mr Fikile Mbalula, the secretary of the ANC, and the other one is Mr Ze Nxumalo. So basically, they were the complaints, so this matter was putting him (Sibiya) under pressure, that is the reason we had to leave everything and attend to it,” said Witness F.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that Shadrack Sibiya did not want the public to know that he had a close relationship with Matlala.
Witness F presented WhatsApp messages showing how Matlala attempted to fix a media narrative about his close relationship with the suspended Deputy Commissioner.
This came after a media inquiry from a media house to Sibiya concerning allegations detailed in Matlala’s court documents about his Medicare24 Tshwane District contract.
Sibiya subsequently sent the media inquiry to Witness F, who then sent it to Matlala.
The alleged underworld kingpin quickly promised to fix it with his lawyers.
Matlala is currently awaiting trial at the Ebongweni C-max prison for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane.
Proceedings continue in Pretoria as more officials continue to get implicated.
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