‘I was scared’ – Carrim explains why he paid Hangwani Maumela on Cat Matlala’s behalf

Businessman Suliman Carrim at Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigitte Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on 6 February 2026. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu North West businessman Suliman Carrim has again claimed he was caught up in the friendship between two men, this time Hangwani Maumela and Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. On Monday, Carrim confirmed to the Madlanga commission his business relationship with Matlala connected to theR360 million South African Police Service (Saps) contractto provide medical services.

“Vusi and I agreed that if I advance R10 million, I would be paid an additional amount of R10 million over a three-year period. The repayment would be made at an equivalent of 10% of all payments received until the amount of R20 million was paid,” Carrim told the commission on Monday. However, he said has only received a net payment of R1.7 million from Matlala to date.

The commission has now found evidence that the net payment of R1.7 million was after Carrim was asked to pay Maumela R750 000. Carrim said that when he met Matlala, he was not aware of his business relationship with Maumela. Maumela never discussed his relationship with Matlala, either.

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“When I concluded the agreement, or when we had the handshake with Mr Matlala in June, around August, I then asked Mr Maumela, look, you’ve never met Mr Matlala with me. Are you and Mr Matlala associates? What is the issue?

He then said to me, yes, we are,” explained Carrim. “So I asked him, but you never told me this. He said, yeah, look, I don’t think it was important for you to have met this man through me.

And that was his stance. He said, ‘Look, I didn’t want to introduce you to Mr Matlala’. I said, why?

He just said, ‘No, I didn’t want to introduce you to Mr Matlala’.” Carrim said Matlala and Maumela did not raise “how deep their relationship” was to him. The North West businessman said Maumela informed him that Matlala needed to pay him money and that it would be done through the North West businessman.

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