Madlanga Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has ordered North West businessman Suliman Carrim to either appear in person before the commission on August 14, or voluntarily undergo an independent medical evaluation to determine whether he is genuinely unfit to testify.
Madlanga handed down the ruling on Wednesday afternoon toward the conclusion of former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) head Advocate Andrea Johnson’s marathon testimony.
Whistleblower reports justify doubt
The order follows weeks of delays after Carrim repeatedly failed to appear before the commission, citing ill health following what his legal team says was a heart attack.
Carrim is regarded as a key witness because of his links to the controversial R228 million Medicare24 South African Police Service (SAPS) tender, which forms part of the commission’s broader inquiry into allegations of corruption and interference within the criminal justice system.
His repeated absence has become one of the commission’s most contested procedural disputes.
Evidence leaders challenged the medical basis for Carrim’s continued postponements after receiving whistleblower reports alleging he had been seen shopping and dining at public venues in Cape Town and the North West during the period he claimed to be medically incapable of testifying.
Last week, the commission rejected Carrim’s application for his postponement proceedings to be heard entirely behind closed doors.
His legal team argued that his medical condition and security concerns justified a private hearing, but Madlanga ruled that the application would proceed in open session, while directing that sensitive medical information and personal residential details not be disclosed publicly.
During those proceedings, Carrim’s lawyers maintained that he remained medically unfit to testify before the commission.
Independent assessment to aid objectivity
In Wednesday’s ruling, Madlanga did not make any finding that Carrim was exaggerating or fabricating his medical condition.
Instead, he said an independent assessment would provide an objective basis on which to determine whether another postponement was justified.
“Mr Carrim shall be requested to appear and testify in person,” Madlanga ruled.
“Mr Carrim will be excused from appearing on 14 August 2026 only if he has voluntarily subjected himself to an independent evaluation by a medical specialist.”
Specialist to examine Carrim and submit report to commission
The independent specialist must examine Carrim and submit a report to the commission by 12 August 2026, confirming whether he is medically incapable of testifying on the scheduled date.
Madlanga directed that the specialist be nominated by the chairperson of the Association of Medical Professionals and that the doctor practise in the same field as Carrim’s treating specialist.
The ruling is intended to bring certainty to a matter that has repeatedly delayed the commission’s programme while balancing Carrim’s asserted medical condition with the commission’s duty to hear evidence from a witness regarded as central to its inquiry.
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- Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ordered North West businessman Suliman Carrim to appear in person before the Madlanga Commission on August 14 or undergo an independent medical evaluation.
- Carrim, a key witness linked to a controversial R228 million SAPS tender, has repeatedly failed to testify citing ill health after a reported heart attack.
- Whistleblower reports allege Carrim was seen in public venues despite claiming medical incapacity, challenging the legitimacy of his postponements.
- The commission rejected Carrim's request for a private postponement hearing but agreed sensitive medical and residential information remain confidential.
- An independent specialist, nominated by the medical association's chairperson, must assess Carrim and submit a report by August 12 confirming his fitness to testify.
Carrim is regarded as a key witness because of his links to the controversial R228 million Medicare24
His repeated absence has become one of the commission's most contested procedural disputes.
Evidence leaders challenged the medical basis for Carrim's continued postponements after receiving whistleblower reports alleging he had been seen shopping and dining at public venues in Cape Town and the
Last week, the commission rejected Carrim's application for his postponement proceedings to be heard entirely behind closed doors.
His legal team argued that his medical condition and security concerns justified a private hearing, but
In Wednesday's ruling,
Instead, he said an independent assessment would provide an objective basis on which to determine whether another postponement was justified.
"Mr Carrim shall be requested to appear and testify in person,"
"Mr Carrim will be excused from appearing on 14 August 2026 only if he has voluntarily subjected himself to an independent evaluation by a medical specialist."
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