Seven of the 12 senior SAPS officers accused of helping Vusimuzi âCatâ Matlala secure a R228-million police tender are back at work, but they are still facing criminal charges and disciplinary proceedings.

The officers have not been cleared of any wrongdoing and continue to face disciplinary proceedings, while the criminal case against them and Matlala is ongoing.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the officers had resumed their duties on Monday, 17 August, but cautioned against interpreting their return as an indication that the allegations against them had been dismissed.

âIndeed, the members have returned to work. However, this should not be interpreted as them having been cleared, as disciplinary proceedings against them are still ongoing,â said Mathe.

She clarified that after an officer is suspended, SAPS regulations require disciplinary hearings to be finalised within 60 days or the officer can return to work while the hearings continue.

Mathe said the investigation was also continuing, with its complexity making it premature to comment on its eventual outcome. She would not name the seven officers.

âThe investigation remains ongoing due to the complexity of the matter, and it would therefore be premature to comment on its outcome at this stage,â she said.

The âCatâ hurdle

The development comes a month after Matlala withdrew from his plea and sentence agreement with the State in the R228-million SAPS Medicare24 fraud case.

At the time, NPA spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the collapse of the agreement meant the State could no longer rely on anything contained in Matlalaâs admissions. Instead, the State would continue building its case through the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).

Under the plea agreement, Matlala had admitted to fraud, corruption and money laundering arising from the alleged rigging of the R228-million SAPS tender. In return, he was set to receive an effective eight-year prison sentence after being handed a 15-year term with seven years suspended.

Matlala withdrew from the agreement after it was rejected by the court, which said an effective eight-year sentence was inappropriate.

The agreement would have allowed the matter to be concluded much sooner. Its collapse means the National Prosecuting Authority will now have to proceed with a full trial, with the State required to build its case without relying on Matlalaâs admissions made under the agreement.

In the dock

Among those facing charges is former national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who has been implicated in the broader investigation into the controversial tender. Masemola is charged alongside Matlala, the 12 police officials and Matlalaâs business associate James Murray.

Idac announced the arrests of the 12 senior police officers in March 2026.

They face charges including corruption and fraud, as well as allegations that they contravened the Public Finance Management Act.

The officers are Captain Brian Cartwright; Brigadier Rachel Matjeng; Brigadier Alpheus Ngema; Brigadier Patrick Nthengwe; Colonel Tumisho Maleka; Major General Busisiwe Temba; Brigadier Kirsty Jonker; Brigadier Onicca Ofentse Tlhoaele; Colonel Anton Paulsen; Colonel Natsengae Monyai; Colonel Nonjobulo Mngadi; and retired Brigadier Petunia Lenono.

Murray and Matlalaâs companies, including Medicare 24 Tshwane District, are also facing charges in the matter.

At the centre of the Stateâs case is the allegation that several SAPS officials helped Medicare 24 overcome hurdles that should have prevented it from securing the tender.

The State alleges that some of the officials either overlooked important issues or misrepresented information during the procurement process, ultimately benefiting Matlala and his company.

One of the allegations concerns the standard bid documents submitted by Medicare 24.

In those documents, the company, through Matlala, allegedly declared that it had not been involved in any consultations or arrangements with any officials linked to the procurement process.

Idac, however, allegedly found evidence that appeared to contradict this declaration.

The State also alleges that irregularities emerged when police officers conducted due diligence at Medicare 24âs premises. According to the allegations, the company did not have a computerised system compatible with the SAPS database.

This was significant because the requirement formed part of the tender process and the failure to meet it could have resulted in Medicare 24âs bid being disqualified.

Instead, officers allegedly reported that the company did have a compatible computerised system, effectively allowing Medicare 24 to remain in the running for the lucrative contract, which was later withdrawn because of red flags around it.

Had the actual position been reflected in the officersâ assessment, the State alleges, Medicare 24âs bid would have been disqualified.

The matter returns to court on 11 September for trial, with the State expected to apply to reinstate Matlala as accused number one to face trial with the rest of the group. DM