Madlanga commission leads to suspension of 18 senior SAPS officers amid corruption fallout

Who has been suspended

The list of suspended officers includes National Police Commission General Fannie Masemola and Deputy National Commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya. The group also contains four officers from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and one from the Tswane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD).

Background to the commission

The Madlanga Commission was established following a July 6, 2025 press briefing by KwaZulu-Natal police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged high-level collusion between police and criminal syndicates. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was suspended on July 13, 2025, a day after the commission was set up.

Major allegations and the Medicare24 contract

Several officers, including Masemola, Sibiya, KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona and SAPS Employee Health and Wellness Head Major-General Busisiwe Temba, are facing criminal charges related to a R360 million SAPS health tender awarded to Medicare24 Tshwane District, owned by businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

Other officers under investigation in connection with the Medicare24 contract include Captain Brian Neville, Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, Brigadier Alpheus Thembinkosi Ngema, Brigadier Patrick Nethengwe, Brigadier Kirsty Jonker, Brigadier Petunia Reabetsoe Lenono, Brigadier Onica Ofentse Tlhoale, Colonel Nonjabulo Nomfundo Mngadi, Colonel Anton Paulsen and Colonel Natsenge Johannes Monyai.

Additional allegations surfaced at the inquiry

Testimony at the commission raised further serious allegations: Major-General Lesetja Senona is accused of being party to the disappearance of 541kg of cocaine valued at R200 million from Hawks’ storage in Port Shepstone in 2021. Testimony also claimed that Major-General Richard Shibiri, head of the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, allegedly tipped off Matlala about a police raid on 6 December 2024.

Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane has been appointed in an acting capacity to replace Masemola.

Responses from experts and SAPS

Professor Johan Burger, an independent crime and policing consultant, welcomed the suspensions as evidence-based action prompted by the commission.

“It is encouraging that there is action taken on the basis of evidence that came before the commission. I am confident that once the commission completes its work and it submits its findings, there will be more criminal investigation and prosecutions.”

Burger emphasised that the commission is not a criminal investigative body and noted the role of a special investigations task team made up of the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in conducting criminal probes.

Lizette Lancaster, head of justice and violence prevention at the Institute of Security Studies, warned that the suspensions of “more than a dozen generals” had left key units under acting leadership and risked weakening operational capacity and strategic direction in the short term.

“These senior officials protected and enabled criminal networks, manipulated procurement processes, and interfered with investigations. This instability and levels of corruption negatively affect staff morale, service delivery and public trust.”

She called for suspensions to be followed by convictions and for replacement officials to undergo rigorous vetting.

SAPS statement and operational continuity

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the number of suspended officers was a concern but affirmed that the SAPS has operational measures in place to ensure continuity, including appointing acting personnel where necessary. She pointed to ongoing operations to show policing continued without interruption.

“These operational successes demonstrate that the fight against crime remains firmly on course,”

Mathe noted that, in a recent week, Operation Shanela arrested more than 13,300 suspects and seized 106 illegal and unlicensed firearms.

Ongoing criminal investigations

Burger said it was encouraging that the special investigating team and the NPA were pursuing investigations and prosecutions without waiting for the commission’s final report. The commission continues to hear testimony that has further implicated senior officers, and criminal probes are ongoing.