Four senior SAPS officials suspended in R360 m ‘Cat’ Matlala tender scandal

Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala

Johannesburg – Four senior South African Police Service officials have reportedly been served with suspension notices as part of an expanding investigation into the irregular awarding of a R360 million police health services contract to businessman Vusimuzi Matlala.

“Four senior police officials have been served with notices of suspension, as part of a widening probe into the irregular awarding of a multi-million rand police health management contract,” eNCA reported.

According to The Citizen, the officials have already been charged internally for allegedly breaching tender adjudication processes.

The contract, awarded in 2024 to Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District, has come under scrutiny at both the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and a parliamentary inquiry into alleged crime network infiltration of SAPS and the criminal justice system.

According to SAPS Chief Financial Officer Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, the tender was flagged as potentially irregular in March 2024 and confirmed as irregular in May, the report said.

Although the contract was advertised as worth R360 million, SAPS had allocated R600 million for the project.

Matlala and his co-accused were arrested by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption on charges including corruption, fraud and contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) linked to the contract. Fannie Masemola has also appeared in court in connection with the matter.

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