National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has firmly denied any wrongdoing as he faces scrutiny over his role in a controversial R360 million police tender.
Masemola appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday in a case linked to his duties as accounting officer of the South African Police Service.
He is accused of failing to properly exercise his responsibilities under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) in relation to a health services contract awarded to Medicare24, a company linked to businessman Vusimuzi Matlala.
The case stems from a summons issued in March by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), following concerns over irregularities, poor performance, and procurement breaches flagged in the contract. The tender was later cancelled after an internal review.
Masemola has maintained that he acted appropriately by terminating the agreement.
“I think I did what I was supposed to do. I stopped the contract, so I don't know why I should be here,” he said outside court. “We should be fighting organised crime as a joint force. But, well, things do happen.”
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has confirmed that Masemola is not facing corruption charges.
Despite this, Masemola is expected to appear in court again on 13 May alongside Matlala and 12 other officials implicated in related corruption charges.
“I am here on a PFMA matter and he is appearing on corruption charges. I don’t understand why I should appear with him,” he said.
IDAC spokesperson Kaiser Kganyago said the state is confident in its case.
“We would not have come to this point if we did not believe we have a watertight case,” he said, adding that allegations of internal factional interference in the investigation are not supported by evidence.
He urged anyone with credible information to come forward, stressing that the National Prosecuting Authority has committed to pursuing accountability without interference.
The PFMA governs how public funds are managed, placing responsibility on accounting officers such as the police commissioner to ensure that procurement processes are lawful and properly overseen. In this case, Masemola is cited as the final approving authority on the disputed tender.
Investigations into the matter are continuing.