President Cyril Ramaphosa placed National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola on precautionary suspension on 23 April 2026 and appointed Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane as acting commissioner. The decision follows Masemola's court appearance on charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act related to a R360-million SAPS tender. Ramaphosa highlighted Dimpane's professionalism and tasked her with fixing procurement weaknesses.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the precautionary suspension of National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola on Thursday at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Masemola faces charges under the Public Finance Management Act linked to a controversial R360-million tender awarded to Medicare 24 Tshwane District, run by Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. He appeared in Pretoria Magistrates’ Court two days earlier and is due back on 13 May with 12 other officers.
Ramaphosa agreed with Masemola on the suspension pending the case's conclusion, citing the charges' seriousness. He appointed Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, the SAPS chief financial officer, as acting commissioner, praising her reputation for professionalism and integrity. Ramaphosa directed her to urgently address procurement system weaknesses identified in the Zondo and Madlanga commissions of inquiry.
Dimpane, who joined SAPS in 2007 and became CFO in 2019, previously testified before Parliament about a culture of lax accountability for irregular expenditure. She flagged issues with the Medicare tender in early 2025, halting payments and reporting to the Auditor-General. She was not involved in awarding the contract.
Political reactions varied. The ANC welcomed the move for stability, while the DA called for removing implicated officers. The FF Plus expressed skepticism over Dimpane's financial oversight record, and ActionSA criticized the reliance on acting leaders. Rise Mzansi deemed Masemola's suspension overdue.
