By Johnathan Paoli
The ad hoc committee investigating allegations against the South African Police Service (SAPS) resumed its work at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre on Tuesday, with attention sharply focused on the controversial medical services tender awarded to businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala’s company, Medicare24 Tshwane District.
SAPS Chief Financial Officer Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, giving evidence under oath, described the contract as an embarrassment to the police and confirmed that R48 million had already been paid before the deal was cancelled in May.
She told MPs she had instructed her team to halt all remaining payments after internal auditors flagged “possible irregular expenditure” in early March, just weeks before the end of the financial year.
Testimony was led by advocate Lerato Zikalala, as EFF leader Julius Malema and other MPs pressed Dimpane for clarity on procurement failures surrounding Matlala’s contract.
Under questioning, Dimpane emphasised that she had no involvement in the awarding of the Medicare24 tender.
“I was not part of any structure when the contract was awarded,” she said.
She noted she was on leave in December 2024 when Minister Senzo Mchunu met with officials about the contract following media exposes.
In January, internal auditors briefed her on the matter.
Their preliminary report raised red flags about the bidding process and potential breaches of procurement rules.
Because the concerns emerged in the final quarter of the financial year, Dimpane said the classification of irregular expenditure would have required formal disclosure to both SAPS and the Auditor-General of SA.
She told the committee that this matter is an embarrassment to the police service, adding that irregular spending persists in SAPS largely because “consequence management is not real”, a structural weakness she said enables repeat violations.
Dimpane confirmed that R48 million had already been paid to Medicare24 Tshwane District before SAPS cancelled the contract in May.
Several outstanding invoices remain on the system, but she said she had issued explicit instructions that none should be processed pending the outcome of a forensic investigation.
She said she had advised National Commissioner Fannie Masemola to appoint an independent forensic team, stressing that the tender had brought SAPS into disrepute.
Masemola has since launched “accountability sessions” requiring officials responsible for irregular expenditure to explain their actions.
The forensic investigation is expected to conclude next month, and Dimpane committed to submitting the report to the committee before Christmas.
The committee continues.
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