National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola is due to appear in court on 21 April. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has summonsed him in connection with the controversial Medicare 24 Tshwane District tender linked to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
NPA Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said that Masemola was served with the summons on Wednesday morning.
“All we can say is that he was summonsed to appear in court. The summons was served to him this morning,” said Kganyago, refraining from sharing details.
Widening SAPS corruption probe
National Police Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe has confirmed that Masemola has to appear in court, placing the country’s top cop at the centre of the widening SAPS corruption probe.
“General Masemola has taken note of the charges against him. He has pledged his full cooperation with all lawful processes. He welcomes any investigation or any lawful process that seeks to address any allegations of wrongdoing,” Mathe said.
She confirmed that the summons forms part of the same tender case involving 14 accused and two companies that appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The charges stem from the awarding of the Medicare 24 contract, which has already triggered arrests of senior police officers and drawn scrutiny from the NPA, Parliament and the Madlanga Commission.
‘Red flags around the contract’
Mathe said there were early warning signs around the contract.
“There were red flags as early as three months into the contract and by December 2024, the Minister of Police then convened a meeting to be briefed on whether or not this particular company received the tender accordingly,” she said.
According to Mathe, Masemola subsequently ordered an audit into the contract, which led to its termination.
“We are also awaiting a forensic report that was also sanctioned by the national commissioner on this particular case. We are hoping that that report will be finalised next week,” she added.
President reacts to developments
The Presidency has also weighed in, confirming that President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken note of the charges against Masemola.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Presidency said Ramaphosa had also noted the arrest of 12 senior police officers linked to the same matter.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted the confirmation by the National Prosecuting Authority of charges against the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General Fannie Masemola, and his scheduled court appearance.
“The President will be addressing the matter concerning General Masemola in accordance with the law. The President, working together with the Minister of Police, is committed to ensuring that the SAPS remains stable and able to continue fulfilling its policing mandate,” the statement read.
Weaknesses in SAPS procurement systems
The development marks a dramatic escalation in the fallout from the cancelled Medicare 24 tender, which has exposed apparent weaknesses in SAPS procurement systems and raised questions about accountability at the highest levels of policing.
As Masemola prepares to face court, the case is expected to test not only the evidence against him, but also the resilience of the country’s law enforcement leadership at a time when public confidence is already under strain.
All the accused who have already appeared in court, except Matlala, received bail ranging from R40,000 to R80,000.
