The forensic investigators examined the bank records of Matlala’s companies, including Medicare24 Tshwane District and his security firm, CAT Protection and Security (Pty) Ltd. The audit uncovered a “specific pattern” of large cash withdrawals from these accounts occurring within days of meetings between Matlala and Cele. According to the report, these alleged payments took place between January and March 2025. Cele currently denies receiving any money or exerting any political influence over the police service during this period.
“If they say I got money, they must show me bank receipts which show that I received the money. Also, when has it been a crime to sleep there [in Matlala’s penthouse]? What kind of political influence did I have over the police when I had already left in June?”
The investigation highlights a significant conflict of interest regarding a R360 million, three-year contract awarded to Medicare24 in June 2024 to provide health-risk management services to the SAPS. This contract was awarded in the same month Cele’s term as police minister ended. Matlala has stated that he cultivated a relationship with Cele to develop a political strategy to prevent the cancellation of the contract, which was ultimately terminated in May 2025. The forensic report indicates that Cele failed to disclose his relationship with Matlala, resulting in a direct violation of national instruction 18 of 2019, which governs private benefits and sponsorships for police officials.
Documentation obtained by investigators includes a WhatsApp message from Matlala to Trucelle Snyman, the sales manager at The Capital Menlyn Maine hotel in Pretoria. In the message, sent on January 27, 2025, Matlala instructed the hotel to grant Cele access to a penthouse unit whenever he was in the city. Keycard logs confirmed that the apartment was occupied during this period. The report characterizes the broader context as involving systemic corruption, fronting, and bribery surrounding the SAPS contract.
Michael van Wyk, CEO of Medicare24 Holdings, provided a sworn statement indicating that Matlala frequently traveled to KwaZulu-Natal to meet with Cele to secure political support against the contract’s cancellation. Van Wyk stated that Matlala admitted to carrying cash sums ranging between R200,000 and R400,000 for handover to Cele. During testimony before a parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating police corruption, Matlala described the exchanges as part of an effort to thwart police efforts to cancel the contract, citing specific meetings at Cele’s Pretoria residence in January and a hotel in March.
The forensic report distinguishes between the timing of the contract award and the alleged gratification. While the R360 million contract was finalized in June 2024, the alleged financial and material benefits to Cele occurred subsequently, between January and March 2025. The SAPS internal audit and its risk and integrity management division conducted the joint investigation, concluding that the actions constituted a severe conflict of interest. Cele maintains that he had no political influence over the police service after leaving office in June 2024 and denies the receipt of any illicit funds.
The recommendation for prosecution marks a critical legal step in the ongoing scrutiny of procurement processes within the SAPS. The case centers on whether the post-departure relationship between a former senior official and a key contractor constitutes a violation of integrity guidelines and criminal law. The parliamentary committee continues to examine the broader implications of the Medicare24 contract and related security sector irregularities.
