Masemola cleared in Cat Matlala tender scandal, Johnson-era Idac cases reviewed

South Africa’s suspended police boss, Fannie Masemola, has essentially been cleared, barely five months after standing criminally accused in a courtroom dock.

He faced four charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) in a case focused on a police tender dubiously awarded in 2024 to organised crime accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s company, Medicare 24 Tshwane District.

The tender was budgeted at R360-million, but it was alleged that due to collusion with police officers, Matlala’s company was awarded the contract for R228-million.

‘No successful prosecution prospects’

Masemola officially became an accused in this scandal in April 2026, which resulted in his precautionary suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile, there were insinuations that Masemola had been maliciously targeted as broader battles played out within law enforcement.

On Tuesday, 15 September 2026, National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) Andy Mothibi added weight to the theory that Masemola had been targeted – the national director instructed that the charges against Masemola be withdrawn.

“The NDPP is satisfied that there are no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution against the National Commissioner on the […] charges,” a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) statement said.

“The NDPP has subsequently issued instructions that the charges against the National Commissioner be withdrawn.”

Masemola will have to appear in a court to be officially cleared.

ANALYSIS

Khan out, Khumalo cleared: How the Crime Intelligence tables have turned

September 3, 2026

On Tuesday evening, Daily Maverick asked the South African Police Service if Masemola being cleared meant that he would resume his role as national commissioner. (The police’s chief financial officer, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has been acting as national police boss.)

A response had not been received by the time of publication.

Johnson’s Idac legacy

The police tender case, and therefore the charges against Masemola, were driven by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who appeared to be aligned with Masemola, previously alleged that a rogue element was running through Idac and suggested those turncoats were targeting certain police officers.

Idac’s head at the time, Andrea Johnson, initially denied any witch-hunt against officers.

Aside from Masemola, another high-ranking policeman Idac targeted via criminal charges was Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo (who has since also been cleared).

While testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in July this year, Johnson conceded that not all the information used in the case against Khumalo was factual.

The Khumalo case

At the end of June 2025, Idac arrested Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo over an allegedly irregular appointment. Khumalo was criminally charged alongside six colleagues, who denied wrongdoing. Despite the denial, Khumalo was shifted from his position as Crime Intelligence head. Idac head Andrea Johnson, who has since resigned, conceded the case against Khumalo and his colleagues was flawed. In August 2026, the case against the seven was withdrawn. Khumalo is now the Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence (the post he had been shifted from), as well as the project co-ordinator for the political killings task team in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

A few days later, as accusations mounted against Johnson, she resigned as Idac head and three Idac officials were suspended.

All this suggested dubious dealings within Idac, as Mkhwanazi had said.

After Johnson resigned, an Idac “reset” was announced to get it back on track.

‘Not in the public interest’

On Tuesday, Mothibi, referring to his instruction that Masemola be cleared, said that the Idac-lodged criminal charges had been reviewed.

The NPA statement added that Mothibi had invoked a section of the Constitution and read it with a section of the NPA Act.

“These provisions empower [him] to intervene in any prosecution process where the NPA policy directives are not complied with,” the statement said.

“[He] considered evidence gathered by Idac through investigations; he also considered a report by the Case Assessment Panel together with a report of an independent Senior Counsel who was appointed to be part of the Case Assessment Process.”

Bigger picture

In July 2025, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged a cartel had infiltrated the criminal justice system, politics and the private sector. He also later said the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) had a rogue element running through it. Similar assertions were made about the police’s controversial Crime Intelligence unit. The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating Mkhwanazi’s accusations, heard that Idac boss Andrea Johnson was close to Crime Intelligence cop Feroz Khan – both now face various accusations. Johnson has since resigned and Khan has been fired from the police service. Idac, meanwhile, drove cases against national police boss Fannie Masemola and Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, who have both been cleared of those criminal charges.

This review process is what led Mothibi to conclude that there were no reasonable grounds for a successful prosecution against Masemola.

Mothibi said: “Enrolling a case for prosecution where evidence is not sufficient to sustain a successful prosecution is not in the public interest.”

An investigation into the matter would be conducted to determine if there had been any misconduct.

A broader review of all Idac cases was still under way as part of its “reset”. DM