Hawks and IDAC at Odds Over Criminal Complaint Against Acting Police Commissioner Dimpane

• Civil society group Public Interest SA lodged a criminal complaint against Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane with the Hawks
• The Hawks said they referred the matter to IDAC to avoid duplicating investigations, but IDAC said it had no record of receiving the complaint
• The complaint relates to a R360 million Medicare24 health services contract, the same deal that led to 13 senior SAPS officials being arrested

GAUTENG— A jurisdictional dispute between the Hawks and the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has left a criminal complaint against Acting National Police Commissioner Puleng Dimpane in limbo, with neither body taking clear ownership of the matter.

According to IOL, civil society organisation Public Interest SA filed the complaint with the Hawks, alleging that Dimpane contravened the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) in connection with a R360 million health services contract awarded to Medicare24 in 2024. The complaint centres on her conduct as Chief Financial Officer at the time, with the group alleging she failed to halt the disbursement of R48 million to Medicare24 while audit reviews and procurement irregularities were ongoing.

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Hawks and IDAC dispute the referral

The Hawks maintain they transferred the file to IDAC to prevent duplication, given that existing investigations into the same contract are already underway. However, IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the unit did not know the referral and had not received the complaint. Former national commissioner Fannie Masemola and twelve other senior police officers were arrested in connection with the same Medicare24 contract. Their criminal case continues in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court this week.

Police defend Dimpane's conduct

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe pushed back against the allegations, saying an internal forensic investigation had previously cleared Dimpane of any wrongdoing. According to Mathe, Dimpane had no involvement in the bid committees and moved to stop further payments to Medicare24 once irregularities came to her attention.

Public Interest SA has rejected that position. The group argues that Dimpane, as CFO, bore a legal obligation to exercise financial oversight and that her failure to act sooner constitutes grounds for criminal accountability, regardless of the internal inquiry's findings. With neither the Hawks nor IDAC confirmed as the responsible body for the complaint, the complaint's progress remains unclear while the broader Medicare24 tender-fraud prosecution proceeds in court.

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Brigadier Matjeng fired

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the dismissal of Brigadier Rachel Matjeng from the South African Police Service following serious misconduct findings related to money laundering and dishonesty. Her case has attracted significant public attention, especially regarding her connections with alleged tender irregularities and ongoing criminal charges.

Source: Briefly News