Bishop Maumela, who defended suspended police general Shadrack Sibiya this week, faces a resurfaced 2018 harassment claim. Image credit Supplied
A Bishop Maumela harassment claim from 2018 has resurfaced online, days after the bishop publicly defended suspended police general Shadrack Sibiya. On Friday, social media users shared screenshots linking Maumela to an old allegation from a married woman.
Maumela says he was with Sibiya on Monday night when members of the Madlanga Commission’s Recommendations Task Team arrested the senior officer in Sandton. Reports place the arrest at a strip club, although Maumela insists the pair were at a restaurant.
Sibiya, the suspended deputy national police commissioner, now faces five charges, including rape, trafficking in persons and sexual grooming of a child. The State alleges that he groomed a 16 year old girl and raped an 18 year old woman at a Sandton hotel. He remains in custody ahead of a bail hearing on 29 September.
Details of the Bishop Maumela harassment claim
The resurfaced allegation dates back to May 2018. At the time, Sunday World reported that a married ANC Youth League member from Mahikeng accused Maumela of victimising her after she turned down his advances. The bishop declined to comment when the publication approached him.
Mzansi Today Live could not find any record that the 2018 allegation led to criminal charges. Furthermore, Maumela has not publicly responded to the screenshots now circulating online.
Meanwhile, the bishop has already walked back other comments he made this week. Outside the Randburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, he claimed that Sibiya’s arrest formed part of a succession battle within SAPS. He also made remarks about President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Madlanga Commission.
However, on Wednesday he withdrew those claims in a statement and apologised for his conduct. He said he never meant to threaten anyone and accepted that the case called for greater restraint because it involves a minor. In addition, he promised to stop commenting publicly on the matter.
For now, the Bishop Maumela harassment claim remains an unproven allegation, while Sibiya’s case returns to court next week.
Read more