‘Bigger plan failed’: Masemola questions IDAC’s motives

Johannesburg – South African Police Service (SAPS) national commissioner General Fannie Masemola has questioned the motives behind the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption’s (IDAC) decision to prosecute him, alleging that the investigation may have formed part of a broader plan that ultimately failed.

Masemola made the remarks after President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted his precautionary suspension on Friday, allowing him to resume his duties on Monday, 19 October 2026, following the withdrawal of criminal charges against him.

According to Business Day, Masemola said he did not know the motive behind the prosecution but believed those involved had a wider objective.

“I think they were executing a bigger plan, which only they know. Maybe one day we will know what the plan was, but it did not succeed,” he said.

Masemola had faced four charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) relating to a controversial police healthcare tender awarded to Medicare24, a company owned by businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

WATCH | SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe has described the return of National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola as a significant moment for the organisation, saying she has spoken to him and that he is delighted to be returning to work. https://t.co/LZVh4fKlna

— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 16, 2026

The contract, valued at R228 million in the proceedings against Masemola, became part of a broader corruption case involving Matlala and other accused individuals.

According to SAnews, National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi ordered the charges withdrawn on 15 September after reviewing the evidence gathered by IDAC, alongside reports from a case assessment panel and independent senior counsel.

Mothibi concluded that there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution, warning that pursuing a case without sufficient evidence was not in the public interest.

The charges were formally withdrawn by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on 22 September.

The prosecution has also come under scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration of South Africa’s law-enforcement and criminal justice systems.

As reported by Business Day, former IDAC head advocate Andrea Johnson struggled to identify the legal basis for joining Masemola to the broader corruption case, despite him not facing direct corruption charges.

‘I am happy to be back’

Commission chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga said the decision, if unsupported by a legal basis, suggested the intention “must have been to embarrass him, to taint him and to make or cause the public to see him as also being complicit in fraud and corruption”.

The circumstances surrounding the prosecution have been referred to Judge Takalani Joseph Raulinga for investigation into the assessment of evidence, the decision to prosecute and the application of the law, including whether misconduct occurred.

Masemola, whose term as national police commissioner ends in 2027, said he intended to complete his tenure.

“I am happy to be back to serve the people of South Africa,” he said, according to Business Day.

Ramaphosa’s decision to reinstate him follows the formal withdrawal of the charges, as confirmed in an official statement published by the South African government.

The investigation into the prosecution’s handling of the case leaves questions about IDAC’s conduct unresolved, even as Masemola prepares to return to the helm of the police service.