South Africa's police chief charged in connection with controversial health contract
via The Namibian3 min read
General Fannie Masemola, South Africa's police chief, has been formally charged with failing in his duties to provide proper oversight regarding a controversial $21 million health contract. The contract, awarded to Vusimuzi Matlala's company Medicare24 Tshwane District in 2024 to provide health services to the police, was canceled a year later in May 2025. Masemola faces four counts of breaching Section 38 of South Africa's Public Finance Management Act, which outlines the responsibilities of accounting officers. He denied the charges after his appearance at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court, stating, "I know that I'm not guilty, I'm not wrong, but the law must take its course." Unlike a dozen other senior police officers and Matlala, who have been charged with corruption in connection with the same contract, Masemola has not been accused of corruption. His case has been postponed until May 13, when he will join the 16 others involved in the case. The allegations emerged during the Madlanga Commission, an inquiry established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate corruption within the police force. This commission was prompted by claims from Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that organized crime had infiltrated high levels of the administration. Masemola is the third police chief to face a criminal investigation while in office. His appointment in 2022 had brought "new hope" for some observers, as he was seen as not being part of a corrupt value chain within police structures. Pre
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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