National Police Commissioner Masemola to appear in court on procurement charges

Gen Fannie Masemola faces charges linked to a R360 million irregular tender awarded to a company associated with an alleged crime kingpin.

National Police Commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola is expected to appear in the Pretoria magistrate's court on Monday or Tuesday to face charges brought by the National Prosecuting Authority related to the Medicare24 procurement tender¹². The appearance concerns a R360 million health services tender that the South African Police Service awarded to Medicare24, a company linked to alleged crime kingpin Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala².

Matlala and 15 others, including senior police officers, have already appeared in the same court on charges including fraud, money laundering and corruption². The tender was cancelled in May last year after it was flagged for procurement irregularities and under-performance².

Masemola said last month in Durban that he had not been charged but summoned to appear, and maintained he had done nothing wrong². I cancelled the contract and followed the proper processes, he said².

The appearance compounds a crisis in the security cluster, with police minister Senzo Mchunu currently on suspension, as is Masemola's deputy, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya¹. President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will deal with the matter in accordance with the law and is consulting relevant stakeholders about the summons¹². The Democratic Alliance has called for Masemola's precautionary suspension while the case is before the courts¹.

Separately, suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi was arrested at his Gauteng home on Saturday by the police Madlanga commission task team¹. He is due to appear in the Boksburg magistrate's court on Monday on charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice¹. Another senior Ekurhuleni municipal official was arrested on Sunday and will appear alongside Mkhwanazi facing the same charges¹.