North West businessman Suleiman Carrim has told the Madlanga commission of inquiry that ANC fixer and self-proclaimed police agent Brown Mogotsi knew about SAPS tender payments before they were made.
Adv Kameel Premhid, representing North West businessman Carrim Sulieman, lashed out at Madlanga Commission secretary Nolitha Vukuza over seating arrangements. #Madlangacommission pic.twitter.com/hJTyBBzBxB
— The journalist (@Moloi_Herman1) March 9, 2026
Testifying on Monday, Carrim said businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala had approached him to invest in his company Medicare24 Tshwane District, which had won a R360m SAPS tender in June 2024.
He then put R10m into the company, he said, but only got R1.7m back.
However, Carrim said in early 2025 Matlala had sent him a message about the cancellation of the tender.
He then asked Mogotsi to verify if that was true.
“Brown later sent me a message that he had spoken to the minister [suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu], and he advised me that to keep Vusi, I should tell him I have a good and direct relationship with the minister and his office.”
Carrim said after the incident, whenever Matlala enquired from him about payments, he would send the enquiry to Mogotsi.
“When we were looking for payments or enquiring about payments, Brown always had the information about when the payments would be made,” he said.
Commissioner advocate Sesi Baloyi asked Carrim why Matlala would have asked him about his own payments.
“He would ask me, ‘When are we getting paid and how are we getting paid?’ because he believed I had influence,” he responded.
However, Carrim denied having any influence over Mchunu.
“I have no direct relationship with the minister, and instead I was asked by Brown to continue sending messages to Vusi assuring him of a meeting with the minister, which I did, but nothing came of it,” he said.
It is alleged that Carrim assisted Matlala to secure the tender and also tried to stop the cancellation of the tender.
Medicare24 was awarded a R360m tender by the SAPS in June 2024 to conduct health risk assessments for new recruits and SAPS employees.
The tender was cancelled in May 2025 after Mchunu ordered a forensic investigation into the process followed when it was awarded.
Sowetan
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.