Under questioning by MPs, Lt‑Gen Molefe Fani admitted that the R360m health‑risk management contract to Medicare24 Tshwane District “should not have been awarded”.
The concession contrasts with his earlier evidence to parliament’s ad hoc committee that all procedures had been followed in awarding the contract to the company linked to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Fani, the divisional commissioner for supply chain management at SAPS, had initially told the committee that the bid adjudication committee relied on the bid evaluation committee’s report and that “due diligence was conducted, and all was in order in terms of the criteria for the evaluation”. He described the procurement process as compliant, noting that 22 bids were received after the tender was advertised on January 31 2024 and closed on February 19 2024, with the evaluation committee recommending Medicare24 on April 29 2024 and the adjudication committee approving the award on June 14 2024. The contract was signed on June 18 2024.
Cross‑examination by MPs, however, exposed inconsistencies and forced concessions. DA MP Dianne Kohler‑Barnard pressed him on why no checks were performed on such a large tender. Fani acknowledged that the advertising period was shorter than the required 21 days, calling it an administrative error. She also asked whether Matlala’s contract was SAPS’s largest, and Fani replied that it was not, adding that national commissioner Fannie Masemola had taken the lead in investigating the matter.
ANC MP Thokozile Sokanyile cited auditor‑general findings that irregular expenditure increased by 140% in one year; Fani agreed bid evaluation committee (BAC) training was lacking.
ActionSA MP Dereleen James asked about accountability, but Fani said the national commissioner had asked that consequence management be held in abeyance until the forensic investigation was complete. James challenged him on why bidders were not subjected to criminal checks earlier, and Fani conceded that this step would now be introduced following the Auditor‑General’s findings.
EFF MP Leigh‑Ann Mathys highlighted that Fani’s own vetting had not been finalised since he joined SAPS in 2022. Fani confirmed his vetting was incomplete and said he had undergone a lifestyle audit “maybe a year or two ago” with no adverse findings. She pressed him on whether he had engaged in corrupt activities during his government career; Fani replied: “No.” Mathys also asked why he had not detected irregularities in the Medicare24 contract, and Fani said the bid adjudication committee had been misled by the evaluation committee’s report.
MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe asked: “Whose head must be on the block?” Fani replied: “I would have to wait for the forensic report,” stressing that procurement decisions were collective. Shongwe accused him of “blame‑shifting”, but Fani insisted he would take accountability for systemic flaws rather than individual misconduct.
DA MP Ian Cameron accused Fani of allowing “a criminal into the police” by awarding the contract to Matlala’s firm without background checks. Fani said security checks on suppliers were not part of SAPS procurement processes and were usually performed by end users. Cameron also cited auditor‑general findings that irregular expenditure had increased by 140% in one year, and said: “General, stop dancing. You are the gateway for corruption, whether you are willing or not.”
Fani responded that services had been delivered and “no money was wasted in this instance”. Cameron said there was an open criminal case in Brooklyn, Pretoria, alleging forged signatures linked to the tender, but Fani said he could not confirm details.
ANC MP Xola Nqola asked whether Fani had ever received a bribe or instruction to award the contract to Medicare24. Fani said no.
He admitted he could not vouch for the credibility of all members appointed to the bid evaluation committee, saying, “correct”, when asked if he had approved members whose credibility he could not confirm. Nqola pressed him further on whether he had appointed credible and knowledgeable people as required by policy; Fani conceded he could not vouch for their credibility.
Nqola referred to a News24 report that Matlala rented healthcare facilities six months before the award; Fani said the report’s timing was accurate and noted rentals were handled by public works.
MPs raised concerns about SAPS officials moving to work for Matlala, possible collusion and whether ministerial directives had influenced the cancellation of the contract. Fani said cancellation was an administrative decision within the national commissioner’s purview.
ANC MP Gijimani Jim Skosana asked whether procedural defects were glaring; Fani agreed, saying, “In total, this tender should not have been awarded.” He conceded that the advertising period was shortened and that disciplinary processes would follow once the forensic investigation was complete.
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