The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday that National Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya’s leave of absence raises serious questions about governance and accountability in the South African Police Service (Saps).

Sibiya was implicated in KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations of corruption, political interference, and malfeasance, where Mkhwanazi specifically accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of unilaterally disbanding the Political Killings Task Team and redirecting 121 active investigation dockets to the office of Sibiya, where they have allegedly been neutralised.

Mchunu was also placed on a leave of absence on Sunday by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“In policing, placing someone on leave of absence instead of suspending them for a disciplinary transgression is highly irregular and highlights the growing crisis of executive oversight at the top of Saps. This distinction is not a technicality, it is fundamental,” said DA spokesperson on Police Ian Cameron.

He explained that by asking Sibiya to take “leave of absence”, the Saps had sidestepped its own disciplinary framework, undermining the integrity of the investigation and the credibility of the institution.

The DA will submit urgent Parliamentary questions to ascertain why the “proper” suspension or transfer process was bypassed.

Cameron argued that a leave of absence was typically voluntary and granted for personal reasons, such as medical or family needs.

“It carries no disciplinary implications and is not defined anywhere in the Saps Discipline Regulations,” he said.

Cameron explained that a suspension, by contrast, is imposed by the employer, either as a precautionary or disciplinary measure where serious allegations arise.

He said Sibiya remained subject to the Saps Discipline Regulations, noting that only the National Commissioner and the nine Provincial Commissioners were excluded from the Disciplinary Code.

“The Saps Discipline Regulations explicitly empower the National Commissioner to suspend a member on full pay if they are alleged to have committed misconduct and their presence could jeopardise an investigation or endanger safety or State property,” he added.

He noted that under normal circumstances, the Minister of Police would be expected to exercise oversight and provide legal and policy clarity on such a serious step.

“Yet South Africa has now gone almost 48 hours with no appointed Minister of Police. This leadership vacuum compounds the crisis and raises further doubts about whether the Saps leadership is being held to account in line with the law and the public interest,” he said.