By Johnathan Paoli
North West businessman Suleiman Carrim has claimed that he was “played” by controversial “fixer” Oupa Brown Mogotsi and businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, describing himself as a middleman caught in a web of misrepresentation, political name-dropping and failed payments linked to a lucrative police medical services tender.
Appearing before the Madlanga Commission on Monday, Carrim, owner and director of private security firm Fusion Tactical Team and a shareholder in funding vehicle Ziggy, said his dealings with Matlala and Mogotsi left him R8.25 million out of pocket after he advanced R10 million to support operations tied to a SAPS contract.
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“It was clear that both of them were playing me. I was caught in the middle of them. I believed that they were in cahoots from what I see now…the two of them were playing me,” Carrim testified.
Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson led Carrim through communications and financial records, probing contradictions between Carrim’s written statement and message exchanges with Matlala.
Carrim said Mogotsi, a long-time friend he had supported for years, misrepresented his political influence and advised him to falsely imply to Matlala that he had access to suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
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When questioned about WhatsApp messages sent to Matlala, Carrim said that Mogotsi had told him to do it, and he did, describing Mogotsi’s strategy as explicit.
“Make Vusi believe that I have a relationship with the minister’s office and that my involvement and my assistance with the minister and his office would be crucial. And therefore Vusi would need to pay me my money,” he said.
Carrim denied any real connection to the minister, saying there was no factual basis of a personal or professional relationship with the minister.
He said he initially resisted Mogotsi’s suggestion because “it didn’t make sense”, but later relented out of desperation after the contract was cancelled and repayments stalled.
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“I needed a lever with Vusi to try to get paid and agreed to follow Brown’s advice,” the businessman said.
Carrim told the commission he only later discovered that Mogotsi and Matlala had been communicating directly.
“Whatever was exposed during the commission’s times, I can now see that the two of them were playing me,” he said.
Carrim said he advanced R10 million to Matlala’s Medicare 24 operation in 2024 after being told the company had secured a SAPS medical services tender.
“If I advance the 10 million, I would be paid an additional amount of 10 million over three years, 10% of all payments received until the amount of 20 million was going to be paid,” he said.
He confirmed that he ultimately received only about R1.75 million, despite attempts to put pressure on Matlala.
Carrim said he repeatedly pursued Matlala for outstanding payments and a formal repayment plan, but he became “evasive” and avoided conversations of when he would return the money.
He told the commission Matlala failed to wait for him during a planned meeting, describing him as “impatient”.
However, Chaskalson challenged Carrim’s claim that Matlala had been avoiding him, pointing to frequent message exchanges in which the two appear to be in regular contact.
“So he’s not avoiding you at all. He’s engaging with you continuously to try and get you off his back,” he said.
Carrim maintained his position saying that Matlala was “avoiding the issue of payments”.
Carrim said Matlala appeared to believe he had influence within the government and the police ministry, but that it was false.
He testified that he relied on Mogotsi because he believed Mogotsi “had the contacts and influence”, denying any claims against himself that he was an “enabler”.
“If I were the enabler the contract would not have been cancelled,” he said.
Carrim said he received a copy of the SAPS service level agreement in late October 2024 and outlined payment flows including R2.5 million from Medicare to Tamizh Investments, with R750,000 paid onward to Lutago Trading Enterprises.
The commission continues hearing testimony after lunch.
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