The South African Police Service (SAPS) has clarified that the man seen in the public gallery during the appearance of suspended deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya was signing to his colleagues.
This comes after a video of the court proceedings went viral, showing the man making what appeared to be a ‘throat-slitting’ gesture.
The SAPS said this was not a threat.
Sibiya faces five charges
Sibiya appeared at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for a bail application on five charges, including rape, sexual grooming and human trafficking.
The state alleges that Sibiya raped an 18-year-old woman at a Sandton hotel on May 16 after she was allegedly given alcohol and lost consciousness.
He is also accused of grooming a 16-year-old girl through WhatsApp between July and August, including allegedly possessing and sharing sexually explicit images of her.
The teenager is the daughter of an associate of Sibiya.
The state further alleges that Sibiya trafficked three people for sexual exploitation.
In his affidavit, read in court by his lawyer, Estelle Kilian SC, Sibiya denied the allegations.
SAPS explains viral video
During the proceedings, a man in the gallery, dressed in a blue suit, made gestures that shocked social media users.
The viral footage, which emerged during Sibiya’s court appearance, showed the man making what appeared to be a throat-slicing motion.
The public’s curiosity prompted a response from SAPS, which confirmed that the officer is also a member of the Combat Team of the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team (CRTT).
Sibiya was arrested by the CRTT.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the gestures seen in the video were operational in nature.
“They were intended to communicate to the investigating officer that the protectors assigned to the prosecutors and investigators should take up their positions and remain on standby to facilitate the immediate departure from court after the announcement of the postponement of the bail proceedings.”
“The interaction therefore related to the coordination and positioning of SAPS personnel following the court proceedings.”
“It was not intended to convey a threat, or an instruction to interfere with court proceedings.”
Mathe said SAPS acknowledges that, when viewed in isolation, the gestures may understandably have caused concern or been open to misinterpretation.
“It is for this reason that SAPS considers it important to provide the necessary context and clarify the operational circumstances surrounding the interaction.
“The officer has been reminded of the importance of exercising caution when using non-verbal communication, particularly in sensitive public and court environments where gestures may easily be misunderstood or interpreted out of context,” she said.
Bail application postponed
Meanwhile, state prosecutor Velile Makhasana requested a postponement to allow the state to prepare after receiving documents from the defence on Tuesday and to cross-examine Advocate Rashad Moosa, who is part of Sibiya’s defence team.
Moosa will be cross-examined about his encounter with the top cop regarding the case.
The bail application was postponed to Thursday.
