A 41-year-old police sergeant attached to Whiteriver SAPS has been remanded in custody following his arrest for alleged corrupt activities.
Sergeant Xolani Sibiya was arrested on Thursday, 2 October 2025, by the Nelspruit-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation and Serious Corruption Investigation teams.
According to investigators, the officer allegedly approached a theft suspect who was arrested on 26 September and released on warning. The case, scheduled for a second court appearance on 1 October, was not placed on the roll.
It is alleged that the sergeant misled the suspect into believing he had influenced the prosecutor to withdraw the matter and then demanded R1 000 in return for his “assistance.” The suspect, who did not have the money immediately, agreed to pay on 2 October. Instead, he contacted the Hawks for assistance.
An operation was launched, and the sergeant was arrested at his workplace. He appeared briefly in the Whiteriver Magistrate’s Court on the same day, where the case was postponed to Friday, 3 October, for a bail hearing.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, condemned the officer’s actions.
“Our members are reminded regularly to uphold the SAPS Code of Conduct. Members are there to serve and protect. We will ensure justice is served, and our investigation will be conducted without fear or favour,” he said.
Sergeant Sibiya remains in custody pending his formal bail application on Monday, 6 October 2025.
