South Africa Sacks Former Organised Crime Unit Boss Over Misconduct and Alleged Criminal Links

South Africa’s police service has dismissed Major General Richard Shiburi, former head of the SAPS organised crime unit, after he was found guilty of misconduct for behaviour that brought the organisation into disrepute, including alleged links with a known criminal. The case emerged during testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into corruption and organised crime infiltration in law enforcement. Evidence presented raised concerns over a loan he received from an alleged cartel member. Despite his dismissal, he is expected to continue appearing before the commission as investigations continue into wider police accountability issues.

South Africa’s police service has dismissed Major General Richard Shiburi, the former head of the South African Police Service (SAPS) organised crime unit, after a disciplinary process found him guilty of misconduct involving behaviour that brought the organisation into disrepute.
The South African Police Service (South African Police Service) said Shiburi’s misconduct included allegations that he associated with a known criminal figure. The institution stated that the disciplinary process was carried out in line with internal regulations and followed due procedural fairness, though it did not provide further details, citing confidentiality rules surrounding employer-employee matters.
The dismissal comes amid growing scrutiny of South Africa’s law enforcement agencies, as authorities continue to investigate allegations of corruption and suspected infiltration of police structures by organised criminal networks.
Reports from state broadcaster SABC indicated that Shiburi’s dismissal followed a disciplinary hearing held last month.
Allegations linked to Shiburi surfaced during testimony before the judicial inquiry known as the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. During the proceedings, he reportedly acknowledged that an individual alleged to be a cartel member, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, had provided him with a loan of R70,000, which was used to repair his son’s vehicle.
However, financial evidence presented to the commission reportedly raised questions about the necessity of the loan, with bank statements suggesting that Shiburi and his son still had a combined balance of about R50,000 even after the repair costs were considered.
Despite his dismissal, Shiburi is expected to continue appearing before the commission, which is still investigating claims of corruption and organised crime influence within the country’s policing system.
During a hearing in Pretoria, Commission Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga expressed concern about what he described as reluctance among some senior police officers to publicly identify individuals allegedly connected to criminal syndicates.
This concern arose after Shiburi asked that the name of a person mentioned in an audio recording presented as evidence be withheld from the public record. The recording formed part of a conversation between Shiburi and a witness identified only as Witness A.
Justice Madlanga questioned why a senior officer tasked with combating organised crime would appear unwilling to name an alleged syndicate-linked individual, describing the situation as “quite concerning”.
The commission continues its work as part of wider efforts to examine allegations of corruption, criminal infiltration, and compromised integrity within South Africa’s law enforcement institutions.