Fugitive preacher Shepherd Bushiri accused suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of taking millions in bribes to make his fraud case disappear during a church broadcast on Friday.
Bushiri alleged that demands for money kept increasing, claiming that Hawks officials including Sibiya demanded payments to settle his case. The self-proclaimed prophet made the allegations from Malawi, where he fled in November 2020 while facing fraud and money laundering charges involving R102 million.
“So much money was collected in the name of these generals who would stop this case,” Bushiri said during the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church broadcast. “It was corruption after another corruption. Every door we knocked on, they demanded money.”
The preacher claimed his team met Sibiya on multiple occasions, including at the officer’s residence and farm in Silverton, Pretoria. He alleged another officer, identified as Captain Paul, told his representatives that Sibiya and his superiors could make the case disappear if they received payment.
Bushiri said his team involved the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to expose the alleged extortion through a sting operation. “We reported the matter to IPID, and they planned to catch them red-handed. But the operation failed because someone at the NPA warned them in advance,” he claimed.
Sibiya, who was appointed Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection in 2023, is currently suspended following separate corruption allegations. Before his appointment, Sibiya faced investigation for corruption and fraud involving R3.5 million in unlawful gratification and R580 000 in irregular expenditure by the City of Johannesburg.
The Hawks arrested Bushiri and his wife Mary in October 2020 on charges of fraud, theft and money laundering. The couple was granted R200,000 bail each but fled to Malawi days later, violating their bail conditions.
On Friday, the Malawian High Court ruled in favour of the Bushiris, overturning an extradition order and declaring it unlawful and unconstitutional.
South African Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the government is reviewing the Malawian court’s decision. “We remain committed to working closely with Malawian authorities on this matter,” Kubayi said in a statement.
Sibiya lost a legal challenge to his suspension in September 2025 when the Pretoria High Court declined to overturn the decision while investigations continued. Heavily armed police officers searched Sibiya’s home in October amid reports his arrest was imminent on allegations of defeating the ends of justice.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is currently investigating corruption allegations within the South African Police Service. KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi questioned why Sibiya was given a senior position despite his history, stating “a person occupying that position must be beyond reproach”.
Sibiya has denied all wrongdoing. Through his legal representatives, he argued that testimony against him was unreliable and motivated by personal vendettas and internal power struggles.
Bushiri maintains his fraud case was politically and financially motivated. “I still believe in justice, but it cannot exist where corruption leads the system,” he said.
The South African government has not yet responded to Bushiri’s latest allegations against Sibiya.
