General Molefe Fani Suspended Over PPE Procurement, South Africans Debate Corruption Within SAPS
- Lieutenant-General Molefe Fani, the police's Supply Chain Divisional Commissioner, has been suspended
- Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has been calling for General Fani's suspension
- South Africans took to social media to debate the state of the South African Police Service amid the arrests and suspensions
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG – The suspension of Lieutenant-General Molefe Fani has got social media buzzing, as many have weighed in on the state of the South African Police Service (SAPS) amid continued arrests and court appearances.
The news of the suspension of General Fani, who is the SAPS Supply Chain Divisional Commissioner, broke on Sunday, 10 May 2025. His suspension is linked to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) procurement during his time at National Treasury.
SAPS has not provided a comment on the matter, saying that it was between the employer and employee.
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Ian Cameron welcomed the notice to suspend General Fani
General Fani’s suspension is not a surprise. In April 2026, media reports indicated that there was a letter of intention to suspend him. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, welcomed the reports, saying it was long overdue.
He emphasised that the committee consistently called for General Fani’s suspension in relation to COVID-19 procurement irregularities during his tenure at the National Treasury.
“Despite a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report containing serious allegations against Lt General Fani, he was appointed to a senior SAPS position, placing him in charge of procurement for one of the largest state departments. This raises further questions that require investigation,” Cameron said at the time.
Cameron added that it was no surprise that under the general’s leadership, SAPS entered into a partnership with Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s company, Medicare Tshwane.
Matlala scored a R360 million tender with SAPS for health and wellness services, but the contract was later cancelled after being flagged for severe irregularities. Several senior police officers, including Major General Fannie Masemola, are appearing in court over the awarding of the tender.
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South Africans react to the news
Social media users weighed in on the suspension, with some noting how numerous officers were arrested or suspended since Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s media conference on 6 July 2025.
General Mkhwanazi made allegations about criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, saying it stemmed from the decision to close the Political Killings Task Team and remove the team’s 121 dockets.
Milton Moshavi stated:
“The guy was minding his own business in KZN, and you took his dockets.”
Majosi Freedom agreed:
“All he wanted was his dockets.”
Jambo Reloaded said:
“It seems like only Mkhwanazi is safe within SAPS.”
MaHadebe Bhungane KaNsele agreed:
“It looks like we will be left with one General at the end of this saga.”
Clark Coetzee added:
“Thanks to General Mkhwanazi, we've got breaking news for the last two months.”
Samkelo Madlopha noted:
“Majority of our generals in SAPS were captured by the cartel.”
Sibusiso Mdlangathi asked:
“Do we still have police officers left? Or are we just in autopilot mode?”
Molefi Chaka noted:
“This is the man who approved Cat Matlala tender.”
Joan Mbangu said:
“I want to apply for a general’s position, since there are a lot of vacancies in the SAPS still loading.
Other stories about SAPS members being arrested or suspended
Briefly News has reported on several cases in which members of the SAPS were either arrested or suspended.
- Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, confirmed that he received a suspension letter.
- Major General Fannie Masemola was placed on precautionary suspension as he faces four counts of violating the Public Finance Management Act.
- Sergeant Fannie Nkosi was arrested on 2 April 2026 after police raided his home following his testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
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Source: Briefly News
