National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
Image: ParliamentRSA / Supplied
Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has welcomed any investigation or due process that seeks to address allegations of wrongdoing after authorities confirmed that he was issued with a notice to appear in court over the R360 million SAPS tender scandal.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the summons relates to the Medicare 24 procurement tender. She said Masemola was served on Wednesday and will comply with the legal process.
Mathe said the national commissioner remains committed to the rule of law and will cooperate fully.
The latest development comes in the wake of the arrest and subsequent court appearance of suspected crime kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala alongside 12 senior police officers implicated in corruption and fraud at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said Masemola has been served with a summons to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on April 21.
He declined to provide details on the charges. “That’s all we can say, because we can’t talk about the contents of the summons,” Kganyago said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also noted the charges and the broader arrests of 12 senior police officers linked to the same procurement matter. The Presidency said any action regarding Masemola will follow due legal process.
“The President, working with the Minister of Police, is committed to ensuring that SAPS remains stable and able to continue fulfilling its policing mandate,” the Presidency said.
The senior police officers, who appeared in court on Wednesday, were granted bail ranging from R40 000 to R80 000, and their case was remanded to May 13 for further investigation.
Suspected crime kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala appeared in court alongside 12 senior police officers amid a R360 million SAPS tender fraud investigation.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
Matlala, already in custody for an attempted murder case, did not apply for bail related to the tender corruption charges.
Their court appearance followed their arrest by the NPA's Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) on Tuesday, which resulted from an investigation that began in 2024.
James Murray, managing director of Medicare24 Group, was among the accused.
Murray allegedly assisted Matlala, who is accused number one, in submitting the tender bid with false information.
Matlala allegedly made several misrepresentations about his company, Medicare24, including its physical address, technical capabilities, health infrastructure, and personnel.
The court was told that Matlala’s company should have been disqualified from the tender based on misrepresentations that caused actual prejudice amounting to over R50 million to the SAPS, National Treasury, and the country at large.
Matlala allegedly had consultation, communication, and arrangements with Captain Brian Catwright, a member of a Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), before the tender bid process.
Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, who recently testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry regarding her intimate relationship with Matlala, was also among the accused. She was granted bail of R80 000.
During her appearance at the commission, she denied receiving R300 000 from Matlala as a "gratification" for assisting with his contract.
The payment to Matjeng was deposited into a bank account belonging to Osizweni Meat Market, a butcher owned by her friend Modiegi Kekana.
The court heard that Matjeng faces corruption charges related to three R100 000 transfers made on separate occasions through a concealment scheme that ultimately delivered the funds to her.
She has also been charged with money-laundering and the court heard that she must have had a relationship with Matlala for him to give her "gratification" totaling R300 000.
Matjeng is accused of doing business with Matlala by referring SAPS members for health screening.
She has been accused of violating Section 6 of Poca (Proceeds of Crime) Act which relates to the use of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Matjeng faces nine charges while the BEC members face four.
Before granting the accused bail, the court noted that it takes into account that cases against them "are a very serious offence", noting that they may face long-term imprisonment if found guilty.
The court further said the plea for lenient bail amounts of between R5 000 and R10 000, as suggested by the accused's lawyers, was not in the interest of justice.
Cape Times