Businessperson and ANC memberSuleiman Carrimhas launched an application to block the Madlanga commission from subpoenaing him to testify and answer to allegations he sought to influence police minister Senzo Mchunu in the controversial R360m South African Police Service (SAPS) tender. The tender was awarded to attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in 2024 and his bank records reveal he paid R1.5m to Carrim on February 2025. Witnesses before the commission, which is investigating allegations of criminal infiltration in the justice cluster, alleged Carrim influenced senior police officials and was a middleman between Mchunu and Matlala.
The witnesses alleged Carrim assisted Matlala when the SAPS failed to pay his invoices. Carrim, in his court papers before the high court in Johannesburg, wants to interdict the commission from subpoenaing him to appear before it pending a review application in which he challenges the basis of being identified as an “implicated” person before the commission. He accuses the commission of treating him unfairly by not notifying him before witnesses implicated him.
“I seek to review and set aside the decision of the commission to call me as a witness on the basis that I am an implicated person until such time as the commission complies with the principles of natural justice to protect the rights afforded to me in section 12 of the constitution,” his court papers read. Carrim admits to receiving money from Matlala but argues it was because he invested R10m towards Matlala’s failed tender with the SAPS. “No information has been presented to me by the commission that implicates me in the investigation the commission is conducting regarding Brown Mogotsi.
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“I strongly deny any improper conduct. In fact, all Brown Mogotsi does confirm is that he injected funds into Medicare24 (which money I have lost as a result of Matlala’s improper conduct. To confirm, I was only repaid approximately R1.75m of the R10m advanced).” When Matlala’s contract was about to be cancelled, Carrim sent the minister a message which read: “Good morning, minister.
I just received a call from our guy, who’s a service provider for our health risk management project; he’s got very serious concerns. Apparently, you gave a directive to scrutinise his contract, and while they are at it, they must stall as much as they can to release purchase orders until you guys come up with something that can warrant the termination of the service.”
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