Bishop Retracts Defense of Suspended Police Commissioner Sibiya After Arrest

A day after loudly defending suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya outside court, Bishop Azwihangwi Maumela has withdrawn everything he said. Maumela was with Sibiya at a Sandton venue on Monday night when police arrested him on charges of rape, trafficking in persons and the sexual grooming of a child. Speaking outside the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Maumela described Sibiya as a "long-time friend" and a "child of God who grew up in church," and claimed the arrest was driven by an internal succession battle within the police service rather than the merits of the case. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "Police are busy fighting in the boardroom rather than going to hunt the criminals," he told reporters. He also compared the case to the rape allegations once made against former president Jacob Zuma, and said senior police generals were "criminals" who would be exposed by a proper lifestyle audit. On Wednesday, Maumela issued a written statement withdrawing all of it. "I acknowledge that I should have handled the matter with greater sensitivity, particularly because it involves a minor," he wrote. "I therefore unreservedly withdraw the statements I made and sincerely apologise to anyone who may have been affected or offended by my words. I also withdraw my remarks concerning the President, law enforcement agencies, and the Madlanga Commission." Maumela said he did not intend to "threaten, harm, or intimidate anyone," and said he was acting on "advice from people who engaged with me" after "serious reflection and consultation." He did not name who advised him. He said he would make no further public comments on the matter and would "allow the appropriate processes to take their course." Sibiya remains in custody at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre, where the state has him held over what it has described as a risk of escape and ongoing interference with witnesses. He is due back in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on 29 September for a formal bail hearing, which the state has said it will oppose. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Read the original article on Scrolla . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.