Herman Mashaba Willing to Appear Before Parliamentary Committee Following Sibiya’s Remarks

• ActionSA president Herman Mashaba stated that he is willing to appear before the parliament’s ad hoc committee
• This comes after his name was mentioned several times by national deputy police commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya during a parliamentary session
• Members of Parliament questioned Sibiya about his controversial tenure as the head of the City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensic Investigation Service

ActionSA President Herman Mashaba's name has popped up in the Parliament’s ad hoc committee. Mashaba's name was mentioned several times during MPs’ questioning of National Deputy Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya.

Mashaba's name mentioned at ad hoc committee

Members of Parliament questioned Lieutenant-General Sibiya about his controversial tenure as head of Johannesburg’s Group Forensic Investigation Service (GFIS), during which he was accused of purchasing spy equipment and allegedly using it to target ANC politicians. Mashaba, who served as mayor of Johannesburg under the DA at the time, was linked to the period in question.

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The ActionSA's president responded and stated that he would gladly testify because his name is being dragged into it. Mashaba noted that General Sibiya was hired by the City to combat corruption involving the sale of buildings, government land, and other fraud-related matters. He said that it was done through the City Manager, advertised, and people applied. Mashaba said that General Sibiya was recommended to the panel, and he held the press conference to inform the residents of Johannesburg.

Reports from whistle-blowers

Mashaba also said he had been overwhelmed with reports from whistle-blowers at the time and focused on running the city rather than conducting investigations himself. He explained that the HR department handled all recruitment processes and that the only person he personally recommended was Michael Beaumont, who served as his chief of staff in a political capacity.

According to Herman Mashaba, the forensic unit uncovered corruption and fraud amounting to about R35 billion, including a notable case involving a former MMC for housing who was allegedly selling government land.

Mashaba denied any involvement in the alleged spying on ANC councillors, using equipment reportedly procured by Sibiya. He said he had no knowledge of police investigation tools and had never instructed Sibiya to spy on anyone, adding that he doubted such spy equipment even existed within the City of Johannesburg.

The establishment of the GFIS remains a contentious matter within the City of Johannesburg, with some councillors calling for the unit’s closure. Several investigations have been conducted into its alleged rogue activities, but no concrete evidence has been found to support claims that spy equipment was procured.

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3 More stories about Herman Mashaba

• In an earlier article, Briefly News also reported that Herman Mashaba shared his thoughts on a video of aggressive illegal immigrants in the City of Johannesburg.
• Herman Mashaba responded to Gayton McKenzie's apology over his racist tweets from 2011.
• Herman Mashaba has weighed in on the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) decision to announce Helen Zille as a mayoral candidate.

Source: Briefly News